Pokemon Heroes Season 6
by aamaylover
Summary: As one walks in the path of light, and the other walks in the darkness, their fates will clash at last. They will leave the past behind them, and fight without holding back to prove who's the strongest. But sometimes trying to be the strongest will only push the ones you care about away. Advanceshipping. Rated for violence, language, and sexual references. Sometimes humorous.
1. Opening and Closing Songs

**Opening and Ending songs**

* * *

**Well this is going to be my story. Already it's doing pretty good, and I thank you guys for that. Let me tell you a few things before showing the songs. If you don't care about this, then skip this chapter. (These are the same rules that I say in the other seasons, but I might have added some things. You can read it all again, skip towards the songs, or just skip this whole chapter altogether.)**

**You may have noticed that Pokemon Heroes' rating has dropped to T. This was due to a suggestion by TheBlackCharizard to drop the rating in order to get a larger audience for my long series. I didn't do it for a large audience though. I did it because after his suggestion, I realized that Pokemon Heroes doesn't really have a lot of rated-M material. This was my first fanfic, so I over exaggerated and told you it was going to have qualities of a rated-M story, but I realized while writing for two years that it didn't really. So thank you TheBlackCharizard for that wonderful suggestion. Still, if there was rated-T+, I would've chosen that.**

**I like putting songs because I feel like it. More seasons will come depending on my status, and that means different songs for each season.**

**Ash and his friends will have and meet Pokemon from Kanto to Kalos. People from Pokemon Adventures will show up as well. You can give me suggestions for Pokemon if you want, but I already have some in handy.**

**This story will have many types of shippings, even ones that don't even exist (or possibly don't make any sense), but this story is focused around Advanceshipping, and it will end in Advanceshipping. (If you don't like Advanceshipping, then leave, but you can give me suggestions of other shippings if you want (except for ones involving Ash or May being with another person.)**

**I have gotten rid of the A/N crap. It is annoying in many ways, so I'd rather just describe their clothing rather than be lazy. I'm getting better at describing their clothing.**

**This story makes references to many anime shows and games (especially Kingdom Hearts).**

**Many characters are OOC (so please don't complain that characters are acting weird from their original counterparts).**

**Last thing I'd like to mention is my profile. I have decided to turn it into a fan book kind of thing. It will include my bio, character profiles, upcoming chapters, chapter updates (see this whenever I'm late so it will explain what I'm doing), FAQs and many other things. It will be updated almost every month (probably about every 5-10 chapters, depending if I'm doing double updates or not). **

**Now for the opening and ending songs. (Watch the real one on YouTube to understand most of this. The best idea is to put the song in the background when you see "Opening song" and "Ending song" at the beginning and ending of every chapter. You don't have to listen to them, but give it a try sometimes).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

**(### This means music notes)**

**(* This means the last**** action continues)**

**(###word### This means words in the music)**

* * *

**(Opening: Fairy Tail Opening 1 "Snow Fairy")**

**FAIRY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING **(Small, brightened fairies skip around freely in the night sky)

**Hikari zenbu atsumete **(The fairies fly over a castle as their fairy dust surrounds it, then it cuts to a scene of a ship sailing in the night)

**K****imi no ashita terasu yo**(Ash is lying down in a field looking up at the night sky, and then it shoots to the sky, where streams of fairy dust are)

**(###) **(*)

**OH YEAH, kikoeten no kako no koe wa? **(May is under a tree on a sunny day on top of a hill, and then she turns around as a fairy soars past her)

**OH YEAH, karetatte sakebu kara **(Brendan is leaning against an ancient pillar in an ancient ruins, and then he turns as a fairy soars past him)

**OH YEAH, kikoeru made kimi no kokoro ga **(Dawn is on top of a frozen platform in a frozen area, and she breathes out as vapor escapes as winds blow and she looks up as a fairy soars past her)

**OH YEAH, OH YEAH **(Ash is looking out towards mountains and lakes in a grassy area as the winds blow, but then he turns as Pikachu happily waves hello)

**(###) **(A train is riding on tracks)

**Tsuki to taiyou no haitacchi **(The kids are on the train with Ash and May on one side and Brendan and Dawn facing them on the other. Ash is sleeping as Pikachu plays with his face, May is reading a book, Dawn is eating a slice of cake, and Brendan's looking out the window)

**(###) **(The kids are on a carriage in a rocky area. Dawn, May, and Ash are inside as May and Dawn are chatting as Ash looks out, and Brendan and Pikachu are sitting on top of the carriage).

**Wasuremono wanai desuka? **(They are in the woods at night with a fire blazing with food over it. Ash and May was eating the food like monsters as Brendan looks annoyed and Dawn looks in awe. The Pokemon are in the background eating).

**(###) **(In a cloudy, rainy day in town, Pikachu is looking worriedly towards Ash)

**Okashii na kimi ga inai to **(Ash is sitting on the ledge of a small bridge looking down sadly, but then the clouds start to clear out as he looks towards people who called him).

**(###) **(It was May, Dawn, Brendan, and Drew calling towards him, ready to go as May wraps her arms around his neck)

**Hoshii mono sae mitsukaranai **(A smile starts to form on Ash's face)

**SNOWING, sunao ni, egao ni, nareta no wa **(Ash jumps off a cliff as a bunch of Beedrills go past him, Dawn sweat-drops as she watches her friends having trouble with wild Pokemon as Brendan and Ash try fighting back as May calls for help, Ash and May are running away from a mob of people, then it cuts to a scene where Ash and Brendan are arguing as May giggles, Dawn looks on, and Pikachu sweat-drops)

**Futari yorisoi, kasane atta "jikan" ga aru kara **(Dawn is standing with snowflakes falling around her as Chun-Li stands a little away smirking; and their friends appear, from bottom to top: Red, Green, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Serena, Drew, Ritchie, Misty, and Gary).

**FAIRY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING **(Two people in a rocky area are rushing past each other as their blades clash in an incredible speed).

**Hikari zenbu atsumete **(It continues, but then it slows down for a second, revealing it to be Ash and Gary about to clash their weapons once more)

**K****imi no ashita terasu yo**(From a distance, May, Brendan, Dawn, Misty and Drew watch on)

**(###Snowing, Snowing, Snowing###) **(The dust starts to clear up from an explosion as Ash is looking angrily towards Gary, who's looks sternly back at him from a higher platform)

**DON'T SAY GOODBYE**(A younger Ash and Gary with smiles on their faces and their arms around each other's necks, flashes in their minds)

**(###) **(Gary is coming down from the sky with his sword completely covered in electricity as Ash jumps up with his Aura Blade covered in aura as they go past each other with light forming after their collision. The light fades and Pikachu waves hello, as it zooms out to see Ash, Brendan, Dawn, and May jumping in the air cheerfully behind it)

* * *

**(Ending: Naruto Shippuden Ending 19 "Place to Try")**

**(###) **(From the skies of the past Pallet Town, the lake is seen as it zooms in closer. Then inside that lake, a younger Drew takes Ash from within it and heads to the top)

**FIGHT! **(Drew and Ash rise up from the pond)

**Furishiboru dake sa,**** saigo no itteki mo**(Ash starts to cough up water frantically and he looks towards a young Gary, who is staring at the boy sternly as Ash clenches his teeth and a water droplet falls from his head)

**Muda ni dekinaikara NOW IS THE TIME TO GO **(The droplet falls into the lake, but then it switches to the present Ash on a cliff looking towards the sunset as he remembers that time and bows his head, as The Aura Beast flashes in and out behind him, and when it stops he closes his eyes)

**Tsuma tsukimi to, egaita yume wa **(From a past fight at some point, Ash and Gary are brawling, but then it switches to the present with Ash and Gary charging towards each other with their weapons, causing an explosion)

**Ima koe kuma atte munune o sasu **(In the present, Ash is standing in an alley and Gary suddenly appears in front of him prepared to strike the boy with his blade, and Ash sees the emotionless, stern look in his eyes)

**IT'S NOT CRAZY **(In the past, a young Ash is on the ground with Gary in front of him, protecting the boy)

**FIGHT AND FIGHT, TRY AND TRY, FOR YOU **(The present Ash on the cliff opens his eyes and looks towards the sunset)

**FOREVER **(A young Gary is standing alone in a purely white area, and then a younger Ash appears behind him)

**Kimi wa hitori janai **(Ash smiles, but frowns when he sees that Gary disappeared, with only a crowd of people looking sternly at him in his place)

**(###) **(*)

**Namida koete****, kimi to susunde ikou **(Ash starts to turn around as the crowd of people disappear, and as he turns, he grows to himself before he lost his heart, and then to his present self, and when he finally looks behind him, he sees Brendan, Dawn, Drew, and May waving to him, then to Pikachu, Corphish, Charizard, Staraptor, and Grovyle smiling towards him, and then to his other friends that consisted of Red, Green, Gold, Yellow, Crystal, Silver, Serena, Ruby, and Misty).

**(###) **(*)

**Nani mo kowaku narute na ii na **(They are surrounding him in the white void as more and more people continue to come)

**THIS IS THE PLACE TO TRY **(Back with the Ash on the hill, the boy smiles and nods)

**Soshite bokura kitto, tsunaida te o **(It switches to Ash and Gary both delivering a punch to each other's face, and then it goes back to the past where Ash and Gary give each other a fist bump)

**Kesshite hanasanaide, asu e kakeru **(Gary then smiles at Ash as the boy shyly smiles back, and then it switches to Sir Aaron and Delia standing next to each other over the present Ash as he starts getting up)

**LET'S SING LOUDLY **(Ash gets up as the wind blows past him)

**WE ARE THE ONES FOR THE FUTURE **(Aura then starts to swirl around him as Ash's Aura Blade materializes in his hand, and it ends as the powerful aura burst out around him as he holds his Aura Blade in the air)

* * *

**That was that chapter. I'm pretty hyped for this season, because I've got so many things planned, and I have to push it into one season. Here's what's in store:**

**-A woman who's come to avenge the death of her brother at the hands of the one who holds The White Inheritance**

**-Seeing the more sinister side of Sephiroth**

**-The return of Sora (once again)**

**A woman who's come to avenge her brother who died at the hands of the holder of The White Inheritance**

**-More Dark Signer fights**

**-Dawn having an important role**

**-Gary becoming an antagonist**

**-And finally, what you've been waiting for, the fight between Ash and Gary, and this time it's a serious one**

**My profile will now become constantly updated, so go there now to find out the latest stuff about Pokemon Heroes. See you all in the next chapter!**

**Read and Review please. I accept flames.**


	2. Different

**This is the one hundred thirty-sixth chapter in the Pokemon Heroes story. Okay, I have a perfectly, legitimate reason as to why these chapters came late, and I'll explain what happened at the end of the chapter. Enjoy! (If you are new to this fanfic, make sure you read the first five seasons first).**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

He had the dream once again. That horrible dream that always haunted him ever since he started this journey. It was a dream he wished he could throw away, but he couldn't do to not being able to control his brain that well while he was sleeping. He was breathing better after waking up hyperventilating. He slowly placed his hand on his head and sighed.

It was about exploding cabbages. Those damn cabbages.

He used his arms to help himself rise up, and he looked around. He felt a groove on the other side of the bed, indicating that someone else was sleeping there as well. It felt warm. The young boy clenched his fists, but then decided to ignore it. Near his face slept the electric mouse. It sensed his stirring and turned to him. It wasn't very happy about being woken up yet.

"Good morning to you, too, friend," he said in an annoyed tone. He got up. He noticed that the bunk bed above him and the bunk beds near him were all empty.

"What time is it?"

He went for the clock, and already saw that it was after noon.

"We missed breakfast...again. Doesn't matter, at least we both suffer together, right Pikachu?"

His Pikachu, the name of the Pokemon on his bed, looked at him, and then gave a sly smile.

"You did not just eat breakfast without waking up your trainer, right, Pikachu?"

Before it could respond, he heard multiple bangings on the door.

"Get up, idiot! We're going to leave without you if you don't get your sorry ass out here, Ash!"

He didn't respond. He just stared at the door until the banging stopped and the girl on the other side of it left. After it was all over he turned back to Pikachu.

"So...about that breakfast..."

This boy was Ash Ketchum. The 12-year kid boy sent on a journey to explore the world and get stronger by his father, Sir Aaron. He would get stronger by improving his aura, the essence of every living creature, in order to continue what his father tried to do: protect the Ransei Region and beat anyone who tries to disturb the peace.

**Different**

* * *

Ash prepared everything in his green backpack and then proceeded to put on his clothes. He already had on his jeans and his black t-shirt with the orange line going horizontally around it. He just picked up his blue, short-sleeved hoodie on the edge of the bed, and then placed his signature hat on his head that had half a green Pokeball symbol. He placed the belt that had miniature Pokeballs attached to it around his waist. After he was done, he extended his arm toward Pikachu. The mouse stretched and then jumped up to his shoulder. Ash pets it on its head, and then turned to the large mirror placed in the room. He noticed his messy, raven black hair. That girl had always advised him to at least comb it sometimes, but that was just a waste of time. Noticing his hair also made him notice his eyes.

His gray, dull looking eyes.

He wasn't born with it. It was the effect of something that happened long ago that he didn't want to bring up in front of her, and also why he had shown his chest less often lately, which had an x-shaped scar. He then sighed and looked at Pikachu.

"Let's get out of here before May comes back."

Pikachu nodded, and he went straight for the door and opened it.

* * *

This was Red City. It is one of the most popular cities in the Ransei Region with advanced technology. Robot cleaners were gathered all over the city to clean up litter, it was heavily supplied with security cameras and electric powered railroad tracks swirled around tall buildings as bullet trains rode on them. Millions of tourists visit it every year. Many people lived there, and trainers came and left. Ash and his group of friends were these trainers.

Within the city was the famous Pokemon Center. It was to treat Pokemon and house trainers before they went their own way. Ash was walking in the hallways of the Pokemon Center, heading toward the lounge where his other friends were.

"There you are!"

Ash stopped and turned towards the girl that was coming to him. She had a smile on her face as she got to him and placed her hands on her hips.

This girl was May Maple, the only daughter of the Maple Family, who was also one of the five royal families in Ransei, which made her a princess. She was an 11-year old brunette. She had on her usual red blouse with that black circle around the neck, dark blue biker shorts, a white skirt, and her dark-blue and white gloves. Her red bandana with the Pokeball print on it was on her head.

Why would a princess be with a boy like this, you may ask? Well, it all started when they met in in an "awkward" situation, which led the boy to be imprisoned. Luckily he was released, but just to torture him some more, she decided to join him. It wasn't like he doesn't enjoy it, though.

"Where were you this morning?"

"Sleeping."

"How many times are you going to be sleeping until this late? I was nice enough to allow you to rest a little more."

"You started banging on the door."

"Come on. The others are waiting. I think we're leaving today."

"Finally, I thought we'd be staying here for weeks."

May took Ash's arm and started dragging him toward the lounge. He thought, and then spoke.

"Did you save breakfast for me?"

"I did, but I got hungry."

* * *

They finally got to the lounge, where trainers could relax to either wait for their Pokemon to finish healing, or if they just wanted to chill out for a while. Near the windows was a couch, where three others were gathered. May called out to them, and two of them turned to her. These two were Dawn and Brendan.

First was Brendan, the white-haired, 13-year old boy with a black headband that had a red Pokeball print on it. He wore a long sleeved red and black sweater. He wore pants with black and yellow cuffs at the bottom. He wasn't born with white hair. He used to be a brunette, but after the incident that involved his father and bounty hunters, it was changed to white.

Then there was Dawn, the blunette, 12-year old girl who is Brendan's girlfriend. She wears a black mini dress with a white undershirt inside a V-shaped neck. She also wore a pink miniskirt. On her head is a white beanie with a pink Pokeball print on it. Gold hair clips held up her hair in front. She also wore pink boots.

"Finally," said Brendan. "We were about to leave you."

"I just woke up to be dealing with your crap," said Ash. "I'd rather just jump off a damn building than hear you say another damn word."

"I dare you to," said Brendan. His tone already signaled that a fight was escalating.

"Not now," said Dawn as she placed a hand on Brendan's chest to prevent him from saying anything else that would piss Ash off.

"Is Misty coming with us?" asked May. Ash turned to that third person that was with Brendan and Dawn.

The orange ponytail-styled hair girl who was staring worriedly out the window while sitting on the couch. Her clothes consisted of a yellow, sleeveless top or vest with a large blue button on the front with matching shorts. She was sometimes described as being tomboyish.

The group had met her when they arrived in Red City. Gary, a friend of hers and the rival of Ash, had gone out to fight Marluxia, a Dark Signer, who were a group of Nobodies bent on obtaining hearts and sending Ransei into chaos with the help of the legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh. It was Ash's job as an Aura Guardian to stop them, and his attempts on doing that has led to the destruction of his own heart, leaving him as a Nobody as well. Gary had not returned for a week now, and Ash and his friends stayed with her to make sure he came back, but nothing was heard from him yet.

Misty heard them talking to her and faced them. She put on a forced smile and placed her hand on the back of her head.

"If Gary's not coming, then I guess I'll just head back to my uncle's place. Maybe he's there instead."

They knew she wasn't really all that happy, and concern was shown on all their faces, expect Ash, who wasn't able to express emotions other than hatred since he was now a Nobody. But lately, he's been mysteriously and slowly obtaining most of his emotions back. Misty noticed their concern, and then stood.

"How about I take you all to this five star restaurant in the city later on before you go? My treat."

Their expressions were immediately replaced with awe and satisfaction.

"Y-You don't have to do that!" said Dawn, although a smile was still present on her face.

"I can order anything?" asked Brendan.

"I'll order a whole bunch of stuff!" exclaimed May. "You said it was your treat! You can't change your mind!"

Ash was the most satisfied.

"I get to finally eat!" he exclaimed. A real smile spread across Misty's face now. But in the back of her mind, she still couldn't shake off the image of Gary.

* * *

Around 2:00 later that day, they had headed out to spend their time in the city to enjoy their paid for food that Misty was offering at an established five star restaurant in the city. They were on a sidewalk that was built high in the air as other streets below it went in different directions. They stayed together so that they wouldn't be separated. Misty, Dawn, and Brendan were just having a conversation.

"I've never been to this place yet, but it's one of the most visited places in Red City," said Misty. "I've heard the food taste amazing. The place is called _Le Mur_, which means "the wall" in French."

"Who came up with a dumb name like that?" asked Dawn.

"It doesn't matter what a restaurant is called, Dawn," said Brendan. "Even if it was called B_aiser __C__hiennes, __M__anger de la __N__ourriture__, _I'd still eat there!"

_"Something sounds wrong with that name," _thought Dawn. _"I can feel it!"_

Ash and May, other than the three in front of them, were having a different conversation. It was more like May just talking, and it was about her lecturing about all of Ash's bad habits. He didn't know how it started, but he wished it ended somehow.

"And I don't like it when you try holding me while I'm sleeping," said May. "I've let you before, but you held on so tight that I thought I'd suffocate to death!"

"Then why do you sleep on my bed?"

"That's not the point!" said May. "And also, don't place your feet on the table while eating. It's very unsanitary!" Ash placed his fingers in his ears, but May's voice continued to enter.

Elsewhere, where a building rose up over those streets, on the very top of that building, a boy stood. He was a brunette with spiky hair that rose up. He wore a plain, indigo colored short and jeans. Around his neck was a necklace with a yin-yang symbol. This boy's body was covered in bandages underneath his clothes, but the ones that were visible were the ones that covered both his arms, plus the hands, and the one that wrapped around his forehead. A bandage was placed on his nose.

He had a bag strapped to his back that was opened. He reached into it and pulled out a bow, and then one arrow. He had on a monocle on his right eye and shut his left one. This high tech monocle had the ability to see things closer up from a long distance. He looked toward the street where Ash and his friends were walking along. He eyes them and gets his sight to land on that one specific girl: May Maple.

He placed the arrow in the bow, and positioned it to prepare to shoot. It was aimed at the back of May's head. He steadied it. He was a long way away from them, so far that you could barely see the form of anyone, but somehow this boy could. He steadied it for at least a few minutes, until he stopped moving.

"And I see you picking your nose all the time like I wouldn't notice!" said May. "At least use a tissue!"

_"Shut up!" _was something Ash wished he could yell out loud, but he knew that his friends would think he was assaulting May, resulting in Dawn punching him and Brendan and Misty calling him a monster.

The boy on the building finally had a perfect position, and he was loosening the grip on the arrow.

"_One shot, one kill."_

He let go of the arrow, and it soared through the sky gracefully, perfectly heading toward May. No one noticed it, except for Ash.

"And don't even get me started on your farting! Now that's just plain-"

In a split second, before the arrow pierced through May's head, leaving the girl falling to the ground, immediately dead, Ash caught the arrow. His sudden movement startled May, and made the others turn toward the two. May saw his hand positioned behind her and she slowly turned, seeing the point of the arrow just mere centimeters from her face.

She angrily turned to Ash and placed her hands on her hips.

"HEY!"

_"Are you being serious?" _thought Ash, and then he pulled the arrow away and looked at it.

"Where'd that come from?" asked Brendan.

"I don't know. It just appeared out of nowhere. Some dumbass might need some more archery lessons before he kills someone!"

Ash had directed that last sentence toward the sky, expecting for someone to answer back. But even as the others have accepted that the arrow came out of nowhere, Misty couldn't really believe that. It was perfectly aimed for May's head.

As Misty stared at May, she saw another arrow coming her way.

"MAY!" yelled Misty as she quickly moved her hand towards May's head and forced it down, as the arrow went over May, but it pierced Misty on her cheek. Blood fell from the cut. Brendan was the first to react.

"Someone's attacking May!" he yelled as he pulled Dawn behind her. Ash looked around as Pikachu tried looking for a threat. Misty was also looking around, darting her eyes left and right, up and down, trying to find her suspect. Her uncle had taught her how to find the position of a sniper by finding out where the attack came from, the wind resistance, and obstacles that could get in the way. Her eyes kept moving until it finally got up to the tall building's roof. She saw someone.

She forced May to get on her knees as she pulled out binoculars and looked out.

What she saw sent a chill down her spine.

She slowly pulled the binoculars down, trying to form the words she wanted to say.

"G-Gary?"

Gary, the boy on the roof of that building, noticed Misty looking at him. He gave a "tch", and then pulled out another arrow and positioned himself. Rapidly, he started shooting and reloading. Coming towards the kids were a whole army of arrows. Civilians noticed this, and they started running and screaming. They already heard police sirens in the distance.

Ash, who was still looking around, heard Misty say Gary. He looked in the direction she was looking, and saw the boy on the roof and the arrows coming their way. The veins on his forehead popped out and formed an x-shape as he clenched his fists.

"So it was you!" yelled Ash. "Finally you've decided to show up! If you wanted to say hello TRY BEING MORE CAREFUL!"

Ash then shot out an Aura Breath, which was him gathering a large quantity of aura within his mouth, and shooting the attack towards his target.

The attack destroyed the arrows coming their way. Gary moved a little as the attack brushed right past him. He sighed and removed the monocle.

He was going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

He threw down the bag on his back, revealing the sword that was in its sheath, strapped across his shoulder to his lower stomach.

He then jumped off the building, but he aimed for the power-line wires. His feet created a spark, which created a spark from the wires. They connected, and he was grinding on them toward the kids.

This was Gary's power. He could control electricity and lightning.

Misty saw him getting closer. She looked down at May, then at Gary, and then at May again. Those arrows were intentional. Gary wouldn't try to hit May in the head twice "accidentally".

Then the realization came rushing into her.

She took May's hand and forced her to start running away.

"Hey!"

"No time! Just follow me!"

They started running, getting lost within the crowd of people that were trying to escape from whatever was happening. Dawn had noticed them leaving. She also noticed Ash and Brendan staying where they were. Gary was coming closer.

"Coming to me now, aren't you?" asked Ash as he smirked.

"I'm gonna enjoy this!" yelled Brendan as his pupils turned emerald green. This was the power of The White Inheritance, a power passed down from generation to generation in his family. Using it, the user can hold the power of the Pokemon they share bonds with.

Ash turned to Brendan angrily.

"This is my fight! Get out of here!"

"Hey, I get to choose whoever I want to fight! That guy launched arrows at us. I have every right to be pissed!"

"I'm about to launch my fist to your face if you don't get lost!"

"Really now?! Come over here and try!"

"Is this really a time to be arguing?" asked Dawn as she frowned and Pikachu shrugged. Gary was close enough, and Ash prepared to shoot another Aura Breath, and Brendan was prepared to use the powers of his Pelipper to soar, or to really jump high, into the sky to deliver a kick to Gary to knock him down.

Gary only just raised his arm, and a large thunderbolt crashed down on the two boys. There was not even a cloud in the sky. The two were electrocuted until Gary sped past them. They fell to the ground, twitching and smoke surrounded them both.

"Dumbasses," mumbled Dawn, immediately checking if they were okay.

* * *

Misty and May kept running. Misty couldn't perfectly comprehend the situation, but all she knew was that Gary was in his "mission mode". Her uncle, Gary's mentor as well, gives them missions that help him get the stuff he needs, and in turn promising that they were going to get Gary stronger.

When that boy was in his "mission mode", he won't listen to reason at all. He was going to do things his way, no matter what she tells him. But why would he in that state now? What happened to Marluxia? What did he want with May?

"Where are we going?" asked May.

"I just need to get you to a safe place. Once I do that, then I'll try to-"

A thunderbolt crashed down in front of them, causing them to stop. Misty turned and saw Gary coming toward them from the power-lines, his eyes focused on May. Misty took May's hand and started running toward other places, but Gary intervened by sending down a thunderbolt.

Soon after, she had no choice but to head towards the large space between two old buildings after almost getting hit by a thunderbolt that forced her to suddenly turn.

The bad thing was that the alleyway was a dead-end.

"Shit!" said Misty as they got to the end. She looked behind her and saw Gary jumping from the wire to the ground. He was walking towards the two girls while slowly pulling out his sword from his back. Misty stood in front of May. May was just utterly confused.

"H-Hey Gary, what's wrong with you today?!" she started saying to get his attention, but he kept walking. "Did you beat Marluxia? Why are you here? Is this supposed to be some kind of hello, because it's quite extreme to tell you the truth?"

Gary's blade got engulfed in lightning. Misty now knew he wasn't playing games. Her mood quickly changed to a serious one.

"What do you want with May? Is it May, or were you always such a bad aim? This is a mission sent by my uncle, isn't it? If he wants to see her, then we'll just take her there. There's no need to get violent."

Gary stopped, and then dashed towards them suddenly. Misty shrieked, expecting a hit, but then Ash jumped into the alley from the roof of the building and a weapon materialized in his hand. He used it to push Gary's sword down, and then used his left fist to ram it against Gary's face, but Gary blocked the attack with his arm. The blow, however, pushed him backwards.

"Hey asshole!" said Ash angrily as he held the weapon up. "I was talking to you back there! Don't ignore me!"

In his hand was one of the weapons of an Aura Guardian, the Aura Blade. It was a blade of at least three feet long with an oval opening on the bottom with a thick pole in the middle to serve as a handle. The blade went straight up, but towards the top, it formed into a swirl. At the top of this swirl were three spikes. The blade was sky blue, and the handle and spikes were all black. Even though it didn't have the sharpness of a sword, it still had the ability to cut through things like one.

"Wait, Ash," Misty began, "I don't think Gary's here to fight you! He's-"

"Well he's here to fight me no matter what he's doing!"

Misty sweat-dropped. Ash motioned at Gary to come to him.

"Come at me! I'll end this in one hit!"

Gary glared at him, and then at an electrifying speed that he used with the help of his power to go as fast as a lightning bolt, he suddenly appeared in front of Ash, prepared to strike the boy with his blade.

Ash saw him suddenly appearing in front of him, and Ash prepared to attack, but then he noticed something.

It was Gary's eyes. They seemed...different.

This distraction only made Ash move back a little to avoid his neck from being sliced off, with a few strands of hair blowing in the wind. Gary used the opportunity of Ash's imperfect balance to quickly turn and deliver an electrified powered kick to his head, sending Ash toward a wall that he broke right through, causing cracks to develop all over the wall. Misty and May watched in disbelief.

Gary turned his attention back to girls. He started walking to them again. Misty glared at him.

"Gary, if you don't stop now, I'm going to use force!"

This didn't stop him. He was getting closer and closer, and Ash then came out of the hole in the wall and looked towards him with a sluggish expression like he was already beaten. He immediately got his spirit when he saw the boy still there, but ignoring him.

"HEY!"

Gary stopped and turned half-turned to Ash. Ash could tell he was annoyed, which only got him angrier.

"What's your problem?!" he yelled as aura started to fiercely surround him. "This is a fight between you and me! Are you saying that Misty's worthier to fight, huh?! We're fighting now, you damn-"

His power was making the cracks on the wall get bigger, eventually finally being able to cut out a huge part of the wall that started to tip over to them.

"Dammit, Ash!" yelled Misty.

Gary quickly used his power to shoot towards the other building's wall, and used that to shoot himself toward the roof that wasn't torn off when the piece of the three story building started falling. When he got up there, he turned to check the wreckage, but saw that the wall hadn't even hit the ground yet.

Ash was holding onto the thick wall, struggling to keep it up before it crushed them. Misty and May were crouching down. Misty saw the opportunity and helped May and herself to escape from under the wall.

"D-D-D-Dam-mit," said Ash. Finally, his feet gave in, and the piece of the building fell.

When it was over, Ash was beneath the rubble, twitching.

"Y-You're l-lucky you've wo-won this round, you piece of-"

Then Ash fainted.

May went to help Ash. Misty looked up at Gary, who was just staring down at them. He looked like he was about to head down there again, but something stopped him.

_"Enough for today," _said the voice in the earpiece in his ear. _"You've done enough."_

"I'm not done yet," Gary answered back. "They're both right there. I can-"

_"No! Get back over here! You've done what I wanted to make sure you did. Remember, this is on and off. It has steps you need to follow, or else you have no chance of winning. Understand?"_

Gary didn't respond. He just nodded and looked at Misty, who was looking shocked at him.

"What happened?" she asked.

He just turned away and started jumping towards other building roofs.

* * *

After getting far enough so he couldn't even hear the police sirens coming from the place he was last in, Gary stopping building hopping and turned back. He felt static in his earpiece once again.

_"Good job on your mission, today. Return to the island. I've got other things I need you to do."_

"Why couldn't I deal with them right there?" asked Gary, a hint of anger in his voice. "I would've ended this quickly!"

_"I told you, you need to be patient. Being rash now won't guarantee you complete victory. Don't you understand, young apprentice?"_

"Yeah...I understand," said Gary. "I'll return now, Sephiroth."

The man on the other side of that earpiece was Sephiroth, Misty's uncle and Gary mentor that have been giving them missions. He lived by himself on a mysterious island off the coast of Ecruteak City. To easily access the island and to faraway places in minutes, Sephiroth provided scrolls that opened portals much like the ones The Dark Signers use as transport.

Sephiroth was a mysterious man, and Gary didn't know much about him, but that man promised him power after the death of his grandfather at the hands of Marluxia. In order to get everything he needed, Gary just had to obey his every word.

But no matter what he was told, he still couldn't get one thing.

"I don't get it," he said. "I beat Ash in a matter of seconds. How is it possible that he's stronger than me?"

Sephiroth didn't respond. Gary only heard playful chuckles on the other side.

_"You'll get it soon enough. That's why we need to take this in steps, to insure that even if you found out, you'd still kill him."_

"Why don't you tell me right now?"

_"That would just be taking away the fun, would it now?"_

Gary sighed and nodded,

"I'm on my way."

He took the scroll from his bag, opened up the portal, and walked in. The portal closed up behind him.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Disbelief and confusion clouds Misty's mind. After just a week, Gary has changed into something else, and not even her uncle could spill the beans on this one. What will this mean for Misty, and what exactly is Ash's feeling on Gary trying to kill May? **Next Time: It's My Turn.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. I know you might be pissed for the late season premiere, but I have completely understandable reasons that I'll explain at the end of the next chapter. Just in case you skipped the last chapter, I'll repeat what's in store for this season:**

**-Seeing the more sinister side of Sephiroth**

**-The return of Sora (once again)**

**-A woman who's come to avenge her brother who died at the hands of the holder of The White Inheritance**

**-More Dark Signer fights**

**-Dawn having an important role**

**-Gary becoming an antagonist**

**-And finally, what you've been waiting for, the fight between Ash and Gary, and this time it's a serious one**

**Now, you may be wondering how the hell is Ash stronger than Gary even though whenever they fight, Ash gets his ass demolished by the guy (I got plenty of PMs and a review about this). All I can give away is that this was something I planned from the very beginning of Pokemon Heroes, so there is a legit reason for it, and you'll understand it when the time comes. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**


	3. It's My Turn

**This is the one hundred thirty-seventh chapter of Pokemon Heroes. Gary's quest for power continues! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

"Since he left without us finishing it, I guess that counts as my win then."

"But you were trapped under a bunch of rubble...and then you fainted. It sounds to me like you lost."

"It doesn't matter, Brendan! Once you leave the match without the other going unconscious, then it counts as a forfeit!"

"But you did go unconscious..."

It was only a couple hours after Gary's attack. Due to it, they decided to rest in the Pokemon Center for one more day before leaving the city.

Ash, in frustration, started ruffling his hair violently with his hands.

"Damn it! This time I could swear I almost had him! You should've forced him to stay more, May!"

"You would've still lost anyway," said May as she took a drink from her glass of water. Ash glared at her.

Dawn watched her friends talk nonstop about how much of a failure Ash was, but then she noticed that Misty wasn't joining in the conversation.

Misty was by the windows looking out. Ever since they got back, she hadn't even spoken to them once. She just stayed where she was.

It confused Dawn, though. Wasn't she supposed to be happy that Gary came back alive after fighting against a Dark Signer? Dawn had never understood Gary, so him just coming out of the blue fighting Ash was just normal to her, and she could tell it was normal to the others as well, but not to Misty. Misty seemed like she knew what was going on.

Dawn could only wonder what Gary's true intentions were.

**It's My Turn**

* * *

Why?

That was the one word that kept on repeating itself over and over again in Misty's mind.

Why would Gary do such a thing?

Yes, she was quite glad that he came back alive rather than dead, but this could be the last thing she thought he'd do. She saw it herself. She knew how he went on missions and how serious he was to complete them. Even if he wanted May, they could've just brought her to her uncle, but instead, Gary was trying to kill her. She thought he was being rash, but then she saw those dull, expressionless yet focused look on his face, she knew that he wasn't just going to take her back alive.

He just had to make sure her body returned.

What surprised her most though were the reactions of the others. The situation involved the killing of May, so she expected Ash to be chasing Gary around, yelling out questions while destroying buildings and other property.

Instead, right now from the little reflection in the glass, see-through mirror she was looking toward, they were laughing and making jokes.

It seemed like nothing had happened at all.

Even after all of that, they all believe that it was just a simple fight between Ash and Gary. Even May, the one who was being chased down and would've been killed if it hadn't been for Misty's intervention and Ash's determination to fight Gary, was convinced that it was the boys' fight, and that Misty wanted to get her away from there.

If Gary wanted May, then he hadn't "completed" his mission yet. That means he was going to come back, but when? Should she wait for him here again, or should she tag along with the others and wait for the boy to strike? Or maybe she could-

"Hey, Misty, you okay?"

She turned back to see that Dawn was calling for her, motioning her to come closer to the group. Misty didn't want to, and the worry in her mind couldn't be held back from her body movements, so she didn't want to worry them.

"Fine then, you win this time, Brendan," said Ash as he leaned back while crossing his arms. "It was my loss, but that doesn't mean I've given up yet. I'll beat him the next time I see him."

"The next time?" asked Brendan.

"Yeah the next time!" yelled Ash. "And I'll do it in front of your face, you pretzel stick!"

"Good luck," said May as encouragement while she placed the empty cup on the table.

Misty finally got close enough, making them turn their attention to her.

"Aren't you gonna find Gary?" asked Brendan. "You've been waiting for him."

"Now that I think about it," said Ash under his breath, "Gary beat a Dark Signer!"

"Um..." said Misty as she proceeded to scratch her chin." He went back to the island, probably. I'm sure he's there, so I don't have to worry that much about him right now."

"When you do get back there, tell Gary he's a dick," said Ash as he leaned back into the couch and crossed his arms. Misty stared at him, and then she suddenly bowed.

"I'm so sorry about what happened today," she said. "I should've kept a closer eye on him. I promise I will from now on."

Ash didn't respond. Pure shock was in the atmosphere around him as his mouth hanged open. He slowly turned to Brendan and whispered.

"She's apologizing. Do I take advantage of this?"

"Of course! This is the only chance you've got!"

Dawn smacked Brendan on the back of his head and turned back to Misty.

"There's nothing to apologize for," said Dawn as she smiled. "Ash and Gary always get into fights, right? I admit though that Gary was the one who attacked first, but c'mon. You've got to admit that Ash continued the fight even after Gary KO'd Brendan and him, so Ash should be apologizing."

"Hey! Why do I have to?! That doesn't make sense!"

Misty got back her posture as she watched them argue about who was wrong in the situation. Once again, that happy atmosphere was surrounding them.

Did they even know how much of a problem this was? If Gary wants to do something to May this time, then they were all in big trouble.

"Ash-"

"Anyway, the person who really should be apologizing is Gary! Why aren't we bringing Gary into this? Why are all the arrows pointed toward me?!"

"Because you're a troublemaker," said May plainly as she slowly started to lean back with Ash.

Misty tried again.

"Ash-"

"Me? The troublemaker? You've got to be kidding. I'm the freaking trouble-stopper!"

The happy atmosphere was now starting to disturb Misty.

"I was born to stop a troublemaker like Gary, not me!" he yelled. "How can all fingers be pointed at me even when he came into this city to fight me and then just leave?! That's-"

"Gary tried to kill May."

Those words just left Misty's mouth as if she had no control of them. Her mouth moved on its own, bringing the whole area of the lounge in a deep silence. Ash was the first to turn to Misty.

"What?"

Misty, at first, didn't want to say anything about it hoping that they wouldn't think too much into it, but protecting May was more important than keeping the secret. She breathed in and spoke.

"Today, when Gary attacked, he tried to kill May."

"But...but why?" asked Brendan. "That doesn't make any sense. Why does Gary want to do a thing like that?"

"I don't know much of the details yet," said Misty. "But I've been on many different assignments with Gary and I've seen the way he acts upon them. He was acting in the exact same way he acts on those assignments, and this time it was obvious he was going after May. Did you not pick up any of the signs when he tried putting an arrow through her head twice, and then he ignored all of you just to get to May?"

Misty saw the feeling of realization coming from Brendan and Dawn's expressions. She couldn't tell what May was thinking, and Ash was just staring at her like a statue.

"Wait...if he wanted to shoot May with an arrow...does that mean he wanted to kill her?" asked Dawn.

Misty cringed at the question.

"I don't know the full details yet, but he wouldn't just do something like this out of nowhere. I'll have to find out more first before heading to conclusions too quickly."

"Why?" asked May, finally speaking up. Misty didn't respond for a moment, thinking about her answer, but even she didn't know why.

"My guess is that it involved my uncle," said Misty. "I highly doubt Gary was mind-controlled or possessed by a Dark Signer. This probably was a mission ordered by my uncle. It scares me to think my uncle wants to kill you, so I'm thinking he just wanted Gary to capture you and return you to the island to meet with him. I think Gary was too rash and almost killed you. But if this is a mission from my uncle, then I would just do it myself and bring you back with me, but there are questions I need to solve first, so it would be best to keep you as far from that island as possible."

May nodded, and then prepared to say something.

"Bullshit," said Ash suddenly as he leaned forward and placed his chin on his hand.

"What?" asked Misty.

"I said that's bullshit," said Ash. "No matter what happens, Gary's Gary. I hate to admit it, but the guy's smart. He has morals. He knows a good idea and a bad idea. He should already know that killing May, a Princess, would be a bad idea, since it could involve him being listed as a wanted criminal who needs to be found and thrown into prison for the rest of his life."

"I agree with you," said Misty. "But Gary from two months ago isn't the same Gary now. He's changing, and I've been seeing it with my own eyes."

"There's nothing different-"

Ash then remembered his eyes when they were fighting in that alley. It was the eyes of someone with hatred. It was the eyes of a monster, and the eyes of a different person.

"T-There's nothing different about him," Ash continued. "He'd still understand. Just think about it! What would Gary want from May that would make her "worthy" to kill?"

In fact, May did have a special quality that would lead many people to chase after her. She was a Pokemon and a human, being born from Ho-Oh and made into a human rather than a Pokemon. It did this to continue having its power in something else if something bad ever happened to it. It gave May to the royal Maple Family to take care of her. Ash knew this, but he wanted to know what Gary would want from it.

"Ash, this is serious," said Misty. "If we don't do something quick, then Gary might-"

"No matter what you say I won't believe it," said Ash as he slowly shook his head. "If that's what Gary really wanted to do, then the only solution is that it was not Gary. Maybe it was somebody else disguised as him. Gary wouldn't do such a thing. You of all people should have much more faith in him."

Misty could only stare at Ash without another word. That last sentence really hit her, making a bunch of things wander her mind until she finally could focus. She smiled.

"You're right, Ash," said Misty. "Thanks."

"I'm always right," said Ash, and then they heard his stomach growl. A pause followed.

"Um...you did say you were going to take us to a restaurant today, right?"

Misty turned the other way and started walking.

"I'm too exhausted."

"What?!" yelled Ash as he quickly stood and reached out for her. "But I'm hung-I mean, you promised!"

"Just wait for the Pokemon Center to give out food."

"Yeah, but that's in an hour!"

Misty only waved her arm.

"What did I to deserve this?!" she heard Ash yell before she got into the hallways that would lead her to her room. The whole way there, she was faintly smiling.

She was glad that the person who despised Gary the most still had faith in him, even if he changed into a whole different person.

* * *

The black portal opened up, and Gary jumped out and landed on the shores of an island.

This was the mysterious island that sat in the middle of the large lake near Ecruteak City. This island was mysterious for a reason, for no one, other than the people who were allowed to, can enter the island due to a thick mist that surrounded it. Any uninvited visitors who came into the mist found themselves back out for no reason.

The island was just like a normal, medium-sized, abandoned island. It had palm trees and normal trees growing that held coconuts. The sandy shore was where people who came to the island would first enter, no matter in what direction they came to the island from. A path in the middle of the trees led to a cabin, where Sephiroth lived. This was where Gary needed to go.

It took him at least five minutes walking on this path, but he finally saw the log cabin in a clearing. He walked up to it and moved the door handle. It was locked, meaning that no one was inside. He sighed and pulled out his spare key.

"Hello there."

Gary recognized the soothing, calm voice coming from behind him. He turned and saw the man he was looking for, carrying a stick with at least ten fishes dangling by strings attached to it.

This was Sephiroth, a tall man that wore a long blue robe, with the sleeves too long that it covered both of his arms. He had long, flowing, silvery hair. His face was calm and soothing as well, matching up with his voice.

"I caught a whole bunch of fish today," Sephiroth said. "When Misty comes back, I'll ask her to cook them for us."

"I don't care," said Gary as he unlocked the door to the cabin. "Just give me whatever you want me to do so I can continue on my main mission. I don't want to waste too much time."

"You just came back and you're already eager for another mission?" asked Sephiroth. "That is so you. Very well then. Let's get inside so I can put these down, and then I'll fill you in on the details of your next assignment."

* * *

May exited the bathroom.

It was around ten, and the others were in their room prepared to sleep. As she walked in the hallway the room door was in, she saw Misty walking in the adjacent hallway. May watched her go, and then followed her.

She followed Misty until they got back to the lounge. At this hour, there were barely any people here. The only people who were here were those who slept on the furniture, either waiting for their Pokemon to get healed, or if they just came and were too lazy to find a room to sleep in.

Misty was by the windows once again, looking out into the city. The city's technological advances meant that all building lights were still on, making the city completely lit even at night.

From the reflection in the glass, Misty saw May behind her. She started to chuckle silently.

"Sorry, I just couldn't fall asleep," said Misty as she lowered her head. May didn't say anything to her. Finally, Misty started to speak again.

"I feel so ashamed," said Misty. "I'm saying all of these things about Gary, yet Ash, the guy who hates Gary more than anyone, still believes that nothing wrong happened to him. I find that embarrassing."

"It's not embarrassing," said May.

Misty nodded slowly, and then she turned back to May.

"I'm sorry about what happened today," she said. "Whether or not Gary was trying to hurt you, I must've scared you at the thought of someone trying to kill you."

"Oh, no, I believe you," said May. "I'm not that clueless. I knew he was coming after me, but I didn't say or do anything because I was confused. I didn't expect Gary of all people to be hostile toward me. It's just confusing."

"It is," said Misty as she turned back, and then her shoulders sagged. "You see, I would've gone back to my uncle's island a long time ago after I met Gary, but the reason I'm all holed up here is because I'm scared. I'm scared that once I go back, my uncle is going to tell me something horrible. I wouldn't be able to calmly face it. I just..."

Her voice just drifted off. From the window, Misty could see May giving off a warm smile.

"It's going to be alright," said May. "So far, you're the person closest to Gary, so I believe you'll be able to get him out of whatever he's doing right now. There's no need to worry about. Everything will be fine."

Hearing May tell her that she could help Gary made Misty smile. She turned back to May.

"Thanks."

May nodded. Misty continued.

"I'll try my best to help Gary out. I'll also try making sure that Ash doesn't get involved in it too much. I won't let him hurt you guys. I'll protect you."

"Thank you very much," said May.

* * *

The portal opened up on the shore, and Misty jumped out, now on the shore of the island. It was very early in the morning.

She looked around cautiously for any danger. There was none. She then looked out to the path that led to Sephiroth's cabin. Slowly and carefully, she walked on the path.

There was nothing strange on the island as Misty observed, but she was still careful. What usually took her five minutes took her ten minutes to get to the cabin. When she saw it in the distance, she noticed the door closing, signifying that someone just went in.

She slowly walked to the cabin's front door and pulled out her key, unlocking the door. Before she opened it, she took a deep breath, and then opened it. She heard Sephiroth talking to somebody. Once again, nothing out of the ordinary. She walked over to the room Sephiroth was always in with the low table, but before she entered, Gary walked out.

She froze. Gary glanced at her, glared, and then kept walking away. Misty's heart was beating, and she slowly looked inside the room to see her uncle drinking tea. He noticed her.

"Finally you're back," said Sephiroth. "I started to think that you were trapped in that maze for life."

Misty walked into the room quietly and placed the bag that held what Sephiroth wanted on the table. Sephiroth smiled and then looked at her.

"Since you came so late, I had assignments piling up for you. Take a rest, and when you wake, I've got another mission for you to do, alright?"

He continued to sip tea, but Misty stood where she was, keeping her eyes on her uncle. After a while, Sephiroth noticed her just standing there, and placed his teacup down.

"Yes?"

Misty felt an emotion she hadn't really truly felt for her uncle in a long time.

She actually felt anger seething into her mind, and she held back from just flipping over that table and instantly raging at him. Her clenched fists quivered, and she spoke.

"What's wrong with Gary?"

"What about Gary?" asked Sephiroth. "He's alright."

"I was in Red City on my mission when I met Ash, May, Brendan, and Dawn," said Misty. "I was hanging out with them, and then Gary suddenly attacked, trying to kill May. Why?"

She noticed Sephiroth's right eye twitch.

"How unfortunate."

"Did you know he fought a Dark Signer?"

"Yes."

"Did Marluxia do something to him?"

"No. Gary killed Marluxia, and then I brought him back here and fixed him up. There was nothing wrong with him."

Finally getting one option out of the way, she now was left with the most terrifying one.

"Did you give Gary a mission to attack May?"

Sephiroth slowly turned his head away, looking out the window near him.

"Get some rest. I'll be sending you on another mission later on today."

"I asked you a question."

"And I don't feel like answering it. It's none of your concern."

"None of my concern?!" asked Misty, raising her voice just a little bit as her anger started to seep out. "How can it not be my business!? I asked if you sent Gary on that damn mission."

Sephiroth sighed.

"Misty, you won't be able to understand a lot of things because of your inability to, so explaining this to you will just leave you with more questions. And I don't feel like answering questions."

"So you did?!"

"I didn't say yes or no."

Now she couldn't hold it back.

"Don't play around with me! I know it was you who did it! You sent him on a mission to kill someone, right?! I've noticed you have been pushing Gary farther and farther into a monster, and I don't approve of it, but whenever I try to stop you, you tell me to mind my own business AND send me on crappy missions just to get me out of the way! I almost experienced a friend of mine get killed by another friend who I know very well! WHATEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO DO TO HIM, STOP IT, OR ELSE I'LL-"

"Or else what?!" asked Sephiroth as he suddenly moved his head toward Misty, sending a glare so angry that it stopped Misty, and almost sent her falling to the ground. This was the first time ever he'd shown her this emotion. Her expression was covered with fear, and her body trembled. Sephiroth continued.

"I told you you wouldn't be able to understand anything, little girl! This is something that involves Gary and me, not you! This is something that will be able to fulfill my wish, while also fulfilling Gary's wish at the same time! I've worked too long and hard for this, and I won't let anyone get in the way! I'll wipe them off the face of this planet, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE! Do you understand me?!"

Misty fell back on the ground, moving back as he screamed every word. When he finished, she could only nod very slowly.

"Now go and get some rest for your next mission, now!"

Misty didn't move.

"I SAID NOW!"

Misty jumped up and ran out of the door.

* * *

Misty ran out of the cabin as fast as she could, running into the forest. She ran deeper in it until she tripped and fell on the ground. She slowly got herself up.

Her heart was beating at an abnormal rate. Sweat was pouring down her face. Every inch of her body was trembling.

That anger Sephiroth expressed to her didn't feel normal. She felt as if the man would actually kill her if she stayed there for another minute.

Suddenly, she threw up.

She kept throwing up for two minutes, until everything was gone. When she was done, she wiped the drool off her mouth as she hyperventilated. She put her hand on her head to calm down.

_"So far, you're the person closest to Gary, so I believe you'll be able to get him out of whatever he's doing right now."_

May's words crossed her mind, and suddenly, she started to calm down. Her breathing eased, and her heart stopped pounding against her chest. She stayed on the ground for a whole until she suddenly saw a thunderbolt coming from the sky and striking down somewhere on the island, around the shore.

She looked up, and then sighed.

_"That's Gary..."_

She stayed down for a few more minutes, but then she rose up with the support of the trees.

_"I'm sorry, uncle, but now, I'm going to start doing things my way."_

She started to limp toward the shore.

_"I'm going to save Gary, no matter what."_

* * *

"She left?" asked Ash as he waited near the entrance of the Pokemon Center with all of his stuff prepared and Pikachu on his shoulder.

"I guess so," said May. "I saw her last night. She did tell me before I went back to sleep that she may be going back to the island the next day, but she went very early."

"We don't have to be worried," said Dawn. "She'll be fine."

"I'm not worried," said Ash as they all exited the Pokemon Center. "I'm glad actually. I won't be bothered too much now."

"Shut up."

"Where we headed to now, Brendan?" asked Ash.

"We have to exit this city from the south gate and keep going until we reach Vaniville Town," answered Brendan as he looked at the map, which was a whole map of the Ransei Region with tons of marks on it to guide them on where to go next given to Ash by his father, who disappeared from the world six years ago. Brendan continued.

"We'd have to go through mountains and a forest, so we'd be able to get there within a week and a half."

"Alright then," said Ash. "Let's get going then. I don't want to waste a lot of time anymore."

They nodded, and then headed for the south gate.

* * *

A portal opened up in a plain. Out stepped someone who wore a black coat and gloves. Silver chains shook as that person walked, and the portal closed up from behind. The hood was over the head, and one would notice the hourglass figure.

This person was one of The Dark Signers.

"How annoying."

From the voice and appearance, one could tell that this one was female. She prepared to remove the hood.

"Since that asshole died, I started to think that it was all over, but who says I can't take care of all this alone?"

She finally removed the hood, revealing her bright, blonde, slicked back hair that was about jaw length with two long strands styled into distinctive antennae-like strands. Her slim eyes were gray. She smirked.

"I guess it's time for me to take action."

This was Larxene, The Savage Nymph, and she was ready to make her move.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** While on the dangerous mountains. Ash and his friends encounter a group of performers training for their next show. Amazing at their performance, they reveal to have Mega Evolved Pokemon, and with all that showing off, it intrigues Ash and Brendan to show that they're better Pokemon trainers than them. What will be revealed about Mega Evolved Pokemon now, and how will Ash and Brendan do against these powerful trainers? **Next Time: Sky High.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. If you've noticed, next chapter I made it so that it could feel more like Pokemon just to at least show that Pokemon are still a main factor in Pokemon Heroes rather than supernatural powers and punching people in the face. **

**Now for my excuse for a late chapter:**

**It was pretty much my fault, for I just overworked myself to the point that I just couldn't do Pokemon Heroes. The weekend I was supposed to be doing this, I had three essays for three different classes and a project that were ALL DUE MONDAY! To put more into it, I had tons of studying to do to boost up my already decreasing grades, and I also had to do three chapters of Pokemon Heroes while also putting the finishing touches on my profile. I didn't worry about it at first thinking that I could do them all easily, but I just couldn't. I had to push all the stuff I wanted to do with my friends away and work, and I pushed it all on Saturday and fell asleep around two in the morning. I then woke up on Sunday at three in the afternoon. This was later than when I normally write my chapters, so I started to worry. (I plan to one day write out the whole process of how it takes me to write my chapters on my profile very soon). I also still needed to study and fix up anything on my homework, and this took me to around seven. I then fell asleep by accident and woke up around nine, and I started to panic. The only thing I completed on Sunday was the Opening and Ending chapter, and I couldn't even write the first sentence of the first chapter. I can't write them on the weekdays, because I have to focus on school on the weekdays. So whenever I had little time, I wrote some of the chapter and then continued to do what I wanted to do. I finished the first chapter on Thursday, and I almost said fuck it and just send you the two completed chapters, but my ignorance prevented me from doing that, and I continued to write this chapter and finished it on Saturday. On Sunday, I fixed up my profile, and now here it all is. I promise I'll try to never make this happen ever again, but it was my fault for thinking I could push myself too hard, so I'm sorry. But hey, the upside is that you get the next two chapters by Wednesday or Thursday, so yay! I will try my best to do them, since I'm not that busy this week. See you next time!**

**Read and Review please :-)**


	4. Sky High

**This is the one hundred thirty-eighth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. I made these two chapters now, because I thought about doing them at another time, because they're faster to write and I didn't want to rush on the chapters that are important to the story. Also, just to give you a heads up, some information in this chapter may not completely be accurate, but I'll explain all that at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

The next day, after leaving Red City, the children found themselves on the dangerous mountains known as X Mountain. They had the choice of going around it, but doing so would add another two weeks on getting toward Vaniville Town. Ash, persistent that they won't waste any time, won in a game of rock-paper-scissors and forced them all to go on the mountain.

They have been on it for a week now.

"I feel like it would've been better if we'd just circled around this," complained Brendan.

"That would just waste most of our supplies," said Ash as he casually walked beside Brendan.

"We've already gone through half of it."

"I wonder how that happened."

"Are you kidding? Have you forgotten that you were the one who-"

"Hide!" exclaimed Dawn as she quickly took Brendan by the arm, and they all hid behind large rocks near them. They looked over it, and they saw some Onix, Donphans, and Gravelers all in a herd heading toward somewhere quickly.

"Why are they in such a hurry?" asked May.

"How the hell would I know?" asked Brendan as he looked around. "This part of the mountain is extremely dangerous. This area isn't that durable, so if something large were to disrupt the area, this whole part of the mountain could break apart, and we'd be falling to our deaths."

"Then why are we even here?!" asked Dawn.

Brendan just pointed to Ash, who just flipped the bird at Brendan in return.

"Let's just get off this part of the mountain before anything else happens," said Brendan as the herd finally passed by. "No doing dangerous things today, Ash."

Suddenly, a large explosion was heard in the distance, shaking the ground. The kids fell to the ground, expecting it to crumble, but the rumbling slowly quieted down.

Brendan turned to Ash angrily.

"Ash!"

"That wasn't me!"

"There's people over there," said May, running in the direction of the explosion. The others followed.

**Sky High**

* * *

After a while, while continuing to feel the vibrations of the explosion near them, the kids made it to the source of the explosions. Brendan was in front of them, and before they made a turn from behind the large row of rocks, Brendan stopped them.

"What's wrong?" asked Dawn.

"There are people over there," said Brendan.

Throughout their adventure, they've met many people and organizations that use Pokemon for their own evil deeds. The explosions these people were causing was possibly destroying the area, disrupting the homes of the Pokemon that lived in it.

"How many?" asked Ash.

Brendan looked over and eyed them.

"Um...I'm guessing at least ten of them."

"Let me see!" urged May as he climbed on Brendan's back and looked over the rocks. Ash reached over to pull her down.

"They're wearing goofy outfits."

This intrigued Dawn to look over as well, also climbing onto Brendan's back as he groaned at the weight. Ash went by Brendan's side and looked as well.

There, standing in the middle of a group of men and women, was a man that wore a costume similar to a thin clown, expect without the makeup and the large red nose. The men and women also wore similar, different colored costumes, and they all wore a black eye-mask. In front of the man was a Gallade.

"Go!"

Gallade suddenly dashed toward an Abomasnow, who was positioned like it was ready for an attack. Another man behind Abomasnow smirked.

"Blizzard, now!"

Abomasnow roared as a large fury was ice was sent toward Gallade. Gallade stopped and rose its hands. Holding all the ice and snow in place.

"Do it now, Gallade!"

Gallade moved its hands together, pushing the ice and snow that was in front of it tightly together. The blades on its elbows glowed and extended, and Gallade easily cut the compressed ball in front of it into four equal pieces. Using its physic power, it launched these balls toward Abomasnow, who was busy still using Blizzard.

"Okay Abomasnow, get ready!"

Abomasnow roared, and the blizzard that was directed toward Gallade was then pushed up into the sky, making the winds blow upward. It then prepared itself, ramming its fists into all four pieces of the compressed ice. Due to it being tightly packed together, breaking them apart made it look like crystals that were falling, but due to the winds, they went towards the sky, looking like small crystals floating in the air.

May and Dawn's eyes sparkled at the marvelous sight. Ash and Brendan felt sick to their stomach for some reason. This felt familiar.

"Time for the finishing finale!"

"Wait, Jonathan! Abomasnow isn't-"

"Now, Gallade!"

Gallade charged at Abomasnow with the blades extended and glowing. Abomasnow tried regaining its composure, but then Gallade dashed past it. After a few seconds, Abomasnow fell to the ground unconscious, and the Blizzard stopped as the crystals fell back down to earth.

Abomasnow's trainer checked his Pokemon, and then looked angrily at Jonathan.

"Damn it, man! Abomasnow wasn't ready yet! You know it's slow because of its large size! And that wasn't even supposed to be the finale! We still had two more steps!"

"Whoops," said Jonathan as he rubbed his head. "Sorry about that. I got a little carried away."

He then heard clapping. He looked towards the rocks the kids were hiding behind, and saw May and Dawn clapping. They then looked like they fell down, and their clapping ceased.

Jonathan smiled.

"No need to hide. We're not bad people unless you're afraid of clowns."

There was a silence, and a silent argument going on behind the rocks. After a while, they saw May's head peak out.

"Hello."

"We're nice people," said Jonathan. "We're just a group of performers out here on a training session."

_"So that's what those explosions were," _thought Brendan, and then he whispered to the others. "Since they're just normal people, let's just-"

There was no one there to respond to him. Already May, Dawn, and Ash were greeting them. May and Dawn were just complementing Jonathan as Ash looked toward Gallade who was helping tend to Abomasnow's injuries.

"You guys are amazing," complemented Dawn.

"Thank you," said Jonathan as he gave a shy smile as he rubbed his head. "This practice was supposed to be a secret. Can't spoil the crowd, right?"

"That was some pretty intense training," said Brendan as he walked out from behind the rocks. "We felt it from far away. Even the dangerous Pokemon in the area were running away all scared."

"Sorry about that."

"What do you guys perform?" asked May.

"You see, we were all once professional Pokemon Contesters."

"Pokemon Contest," said May and Dawn, both now getting more intrigued in the conversation.

"Pokemon Contest," groaned Ash and Brendan as they stepped back with the weird feeling in their gut again, finally remembering how their performance was familiar.

"After a while," Jonathan continued, "we started getting so good that we quit Pokemon Contest and became performers. Our group's name is Sky High."

"I know that group," said May. "You were those amazing performers that performed in that town we once passed by, but I didn't go because SOMEBODY wouldn't go with me."

"I told you to go with Dawn," said Ash, defending himself. "I wasn't feeling good that day."

"Dawn was busy frickle-frackling with Brendan to go with me!"

_"Frickle-frackle?" _thought Dawn.

"Too bad you missed us," said Jonathan. "It wasn't a good show anyway. We kind of started something new and didn't have much experience with it yet."

"What was it?" asked Brendan.

"Well," said the man behind them who was the trainer of Abomasnow, "we were just getting to that until this asshole finished the battle too quickly."

"Just let it go, Bob," said Jonathan, and he turned back to them. "We were practicing something new. Would you like to see what it is?"

The kids nodded. Jonathan reached into a bag, and then he pulled out a watch-like device. It had a crevice that looked like something could fit in it. He then pulled out a green and purple stone from his pocket. The device seemed familiar.

"This is a Mega Ring," said Jonathan. "And this is a Galladinite, a Mega Stone to evolve Gallade into a Mega Gallade."

"Hey!" said Ash as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Mega Ring. "I have one of those!"

"Then you kids must already know what Mega Evolving is," said Jonathan. "They are really rare to get, so I'm amazed that you have it. We were given one each by our manager to use in our performances. We were just practicing using them. Come over here, Gallade."

Gallade nodded and walked next to Jonathan. Jonathan nodded and walked a little behind Gallade. He then breathed in, and then he tossed the stone into the air, caught it, and then placed it into the crevice within the device that was attached to his wrist. Then, Gallade started to glow.

The kids watched in amazement as the graceful Pokemon was covered in a ball of light. When the light started to disappear, out came a new Pokemon. Red plates emerged on its arms, and it was given a better much more knightly look. It's upper body became white, and the spikes on its head elongate. This was Mega Gallade.

Ash and Brendan were eyeing it. Jonathan smirked, and then he removed the stone, and Gallade returned back to its original form again.

"So that's what a Mega Gallade looks like," said Jonathan. "Pretty cool, wasn't it?"

Ash and Brendan nodded. They immediately took out Pokeballs.

"We're battling, now!" they both yelled, shocking the girls and making Jonathan raise one eyebrow. Ash and Brendan then realized they both said this, and they started pushing one another to go first.

"A-A battle," said Jonathan as he rubbed his head. "Well, um, that's unexpected. Today, we were just planning on training. We weren't planning anything else."

"Then train with me," said Ash. "Give me your best shot!"

"But we train for performances, not battles."

"I see the way you perform," said Brendan as he pushed Ash's face to the ground. "Just battle with us like your performing. There won't be much of a difference."

"But we plan our stuff, and we don't find it necessary to knock out the other's Pokemon, and it won't feel like the same, and-"

"Stop making excuses and battle me!" yelled the boys.

"Guys..." said Dawn as she face-palmed. Jonathan sighed, and then smirked.

"Fine," said Jonathan. "It's been a while since I've been so revved up. I'll try you two out."

"Alright then," said Ash as he attached the device around his wrist. Brendan pushed him away.

"He was talking to me, dumbass," said Brendan. Ash used his feet to trip Brendan to the ground.

"No way, idiot," said Ash. "He was obviously looking at me." Brendan got back from the ground and tried pushing Ash, but the boy stood his ground and tried pushing back. Jonathan sighed.

"How about I battle both of you at the same time?" said Jonathan. "That could get things rolling along quicker." Ash and Brendan stared at him.

"Are you saying that we'd be too easy to beat with just one Pokemon?" asked Ash.

"No, no."

"We don't need you to go easy," said Brendan. "We can whoop your ass with a Magikarp!"

"Do you want a battle or not?"

Ash and Brendan looked at each other, and then glared.

"You better not get in my way, Ketchum."

"When I'm done with him, we're going at each other next!"

After everything was cleared up, Jonathan motioned for the other performers to move back, and motioned for Gallade to stand by him. Someone stood in between the opponents.

"This will be a two-on-one battle," he said as he rose his hand, waited a few seconds, and then lowered it. "Begin!"

The boys tossed out Pokeballs, sending out Charizard and Aggron.

Brendan turned to Ash, and noticed him preparing to take out his Charizardite X.

"Hey! That's not fair! You can't Mega Evolve while teaming up with me!"

"Who said I'd be teaming up with you?" asked Ash in a mocking tone.

"Focus, guys!" called out May.

"Just get over it!" yelled Dawn.

Jonathan took out Gallade's Mega Stone and placed it within the Mega Ring, immediately changing Gallade into Mega Gallade.

"Let's begin!" ordered Jonathan. "Gallade, use Psycho Cut!"

Without even a warning, Mega Gallade came rushing towards the two Pokemon, Charizard saw it coming and soared up into the air, and Aggron prepared to protect itself using its armor, but Mega Gallade broke right through the armor, and Aggron fell to the ground. Mega Gallade then jumped up and used its extended blades to strike Charizard, sending it back toward the ground. Ash and Brendan watched in shock, but they quickly recovered.

"Hyper Beam while it's in the air!" ordered Brendan.

Aggron, while falling, aimed for Mega Gallade and used Hyper Beam. Mega Gallade used its large blade to cut right through it.

"Charizard, Fire Fang!" ordered Ash. Charizard regained its composure midair and flew up at Mega Gallade to bite it, but Mega Gallade took it by the neck and tossed it at Aggron.

"Watch where you're going!" yelled Brendan.

"I can't control where Gallade throws Charizard!" Ash retaliated.

"Gallade, Psycho Ball!" ordered Jonathan. In midair, Mega Gallade created a Psycho Ball in its hands, and then it got bigger and bigger, and then it threw it at the two Pokemon. They quickly got up and dodged in opposite directions, but the explosion that followed pushed them away.

"Aggron, Headbutt!" ordered Brendan when Mega Gallade got on the ground.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" ordered Ash.

Aggron ran toward Mega Gallade, but it just moved out of the way, making Aggron keep running toward Charizard. Charizard, not seeing it there, used Flamethrower, attacking Aggron.

"Smooth move, Brendan," mocked Ash.

"You're the one that hit me first!" yelled Brendan.

"Gallade, Extremespeed!" ordered Jonathan. Mega Gallade got back up immediately and first went for Charizard, striking the Pokemon with multiple unseeable hits. Once Charizard was down, it went for Aggron, grabbed its face, and rammed it to the ground.

"Had enough?" mocked Jonathan.

"That was just the beginning, dick-face!" yelled Ash. "Charizard, Fire Blast!"

"Aggron, use the most powerful Hyper Beam you can launch!" ordered Brendan.

Charging their attacks, Charizard and Aggron built up energy as Mega Gallade waited for them to strike. Finally, their attacks were launched. Mega Gallade just jumped in the air as they went past each other and immediately hit their partner. Mega Gallade got back down within the smoke that was created. It looked at its opponents and saw Charizard and Aggron down on the ground, but slowly, they started getting back up.

"They sure are persistent," commented Jonathan.

"Don't underestimate Charizard," said Ash as he took out Charizard's Mega Stone. "Let's do this!"

He placed it within the crevice on the Mega Ring, and expected a ball of light to cover Charizard, but nothing happened. Ash started to remove and place the stone within the device again, and then he checked if it was on, even though there was no switch.

"Um...Ash," said Brendan.

"Shut up!" yelled Ash, and then he looked at Charizard. "Charizard!"

Charizard roared back at him angrily. Jonathan just placed his finger on his forehead and sighed.

"Gallade."

Mega Gallade nodded, created two Psycho Balls, and then tosses them both at Charizard and Aggron.

This, finally, knocked them out.

* * *

A few hours later, Jonathan placed both Pokeballs back in the hands of the sulking Ash and Brendan. May and Dawn were just cheering them up.

"I swear Arceus that was all Brendan's fault," said Ash as he glared at Brendan.

"Says the guy who has a glitched-up watch!" said Brendan.

"What about yours then? Why didn't you use that?"

"I don't even know how to use it!"

They prepared to once again brawl, but the Jonathan karate-chopped both of their heads.

"It was both your faults that you lost to me," said Jonathan. "You two weren't working together right."

"Working together?" asked Brendan. "We've already learned that lesson when we beat Palmer!"

"You beat Palmer?" asked Jonathan, but then he brushed off the topic immediately. "I meant that you two didn't completely focus on each other's moves. You two were fighting against yourselves a lot. And I noticed that you two were only battling just to see which one would beat me first, right?"

"Um...yeah," said Ash. Jonathan's eye twitched.

"Then how come my watch didn't respond to me when I put the stone in it?" asked Ash.

"You do realize that you can't just Mega Evolve your Pokemon at any time you'd like, right?" asked Jonathan. "You see, Mega Evolving has much more things that it needs for evolving a Pokemon. One important factor is the bonds that your share with your Pokemon."

"Charizard and I have a whole bunch of bonds," said Ash.

"Yes, but were you caring about it when you were battling me? You only cared about beating me before your friend, which led to you forgetting about your bond, and therefore interfering with Mega Evolving. You understand that? If you two forget about racing and cared for what your Pokemon were doing, then maybe you would've had a much better chance at beating me."

"I have a Mega Stone," said Brendan as he took out his Aggronite. "I heard before that it's for Aggron, but it's not working."

"First time Mega Evolving a Pokemon takes a lot of work," said Jonathan. "Pretty much, you just have to have that breakthrough in your bonds that you know will never disappear. Once you find that, then you'll be able to Mega Evolve as long as you focus on that bond. You two are understanding this all?"

Ash and Brendan sat there, trying to push it all in their heads. They then smirked.

"Yup," said Brendan. "So how about a rematch?"

"Yeah," said Ash. "I'm up for it."

"Nope," said Jonathan. "Not today, boys. Maybe in the future. Right now, I've got practicing to do. So bye."

"But-"

"Bye!"

Ash and Brendan lowered their heads, and they sulkily walked away. As they got farther, Dawn turned to Jonathan.

"They'll forget about this later," said Dawn. "Good luck on your performance."

"Thank you," said Jonathan.

May and Dawn then ran off toward the boys.

* * *

"Okay guys, let's start this," said Jonathan as he clasped his hands together.

It was already the next morning, and the group of performers were all hyped up for training. While Jonathan stood there, he felt a hand tug on his sleeve. He turned to Bob, the man he was training with yesterday, who was pointing in some direction.

"Um...Jonathan..."

Jonathan looked in the direction he was pointing, and frowned when he saw Ash and Brendan coming back, with bruises all over their bodies as Dawn and May were trying to hold them back.

"What are you kids doing back here?" asked Jonathan.

"You said not today, which was yesterday," said Brendan. "Today's today, and today we're gonna kick your ass!"

"Yeah, we've been training nonstop since yesterday," said Ash. "We're completely ready for this!"

"Um...great," said Jonathan. "Why are you...bruised up like that, though? You did train your Pokemon, right?"

"Oh," said Ash.

"So that's what we were supposed to do," said Brendan.

"You guys are freaking idiots, that's what!" yelled Dawn. May just placed her hand on her face while shaking her head.

Jonathan sighed and looked back at his group.

"You kids sure are persistent," said Jonathan. "Fine, but only for you to leave me alone. This will be a battle, and once it's over you can't challenge me for a whole decade, alright?"

"Fine, but this one has to be longer," said Ash.

"Yup, a six-on-six battle!" yelled Brendan.

"Yeah, not happening," said Jonathan, knowing that would just give him a better chance to win, and therefore making these kids challenge him over and over again. Even though, he wasn't going to hold back. He had too much pride for that.

"How about a three-on-six?" asked Jonathan. "That seems more fair."

"This guy's mocking us!" yelled Brendan.

"I'm about to fight without my Pokemon!" yelled Ash.

"Take it or leave it," said Jonathan.

Ash and Brendan took out their Pokeballs. Jonathan smirked and took out a Pokeball as well. A judge stood in-between them.

"Why are we wasting our time with this?" asked May.

"You do realize that there isn't a Pokemon Center for miles, right?" asked Dawn.

Ash and Brendan ignored them, and the judge rose his hand.

"This will be a three-on-six battle," said the judge, he waited a few minutes, and then he lowered it. "Begin!"

Ash and Brendan threw their Pokeballs, releasing Corphish and Mightyena. Jonathan threw his Pokeball, releasing a Blastoise.

"Corphish, Hydro Pump!"

"Mightyena, Shadow Pulse!"

Corphish immediately used its most powerful move, and Mightyena followed with a Shadow Pulse. The Hydro Pump had no effect on Blastoise at all, but then the Shadow Pulse that followed pushed it a little back.

"Nice combo," said Jonathan. "Blastoise, show them what a real Hydro Pump can do!"

Blastoise prepared the cannons on its back, aimed at the Pokemon, and launched a full-powered burst of water. Mightyena took Corphish and tossed it on its back, and it started running to get away from the attack, which was tearing up the ground.

"Corphish, Crabhammer," ordered Ash, and Corphish jumped from Mightyena's back and went for Blastoise, hitting it on its head to interrupt its attack.

"Mightyena, Headbutt!" ordered Brendan.

Mightyena ran toward Blastoise and rammed its head on the large Pokemon, once again pushing it back.

"We're not taking that, right Blastoise?" asked Jonathan. "Use Rapid Spin!" Blastoise got within its shell and violently spun around, hitting Mightyena and Corphish. The two Pokemon kept on getting hit by the spinning shell over and over again.

"Mightyena, use Shadow Pulse to slow it down!"

"Corphish, use Crabhammer on the ground in front of Blastoise after Mightyena does that."

Mightyena used Shadow Pulse directly in front of Blastoise right before it got hit, with the vibrations in the air slowing down the speed of the spin by a little. Corphish then used Crabhammer in front of Blastoise, creating a fissure that brought the ground up, flipping the shell over.

"Now, Blastoise!"

Blastoise got out of its shell and suddenly aimed its cannons at them in midair. It used Hydro Pump, striking the Pokemon at point blank. Within a few seconds, they were unconscious. Ash and Brendan returned them.

"Let's take down that guy first," said Brendan.

"Quickly," said Ash.

They tossed out Pokeballs, and out of them came Shiftry and Grovyle, Pokemon that had a type advantage over Blastoise.

"Shiftry, Leaf Storm!"

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade!"

Quickly, Shiftry used Leaf Storm, attacking Blastoise with a large fury of leaves before it even had the time to move, sending it in midair. Grovyle then extended the leaves on its elbows and struck Blastoise in midair. It fell to the ground unconscious. Jonathan smirked and returned it.

"You actually beat one of my Pokemon," said Jonathan. "Good for you. The real show's about to begin!"

He then tossed out another Pokeball, releasing Venasaur. It roared. Ash and Brendan moved quickly.

"Grovyle, quickly, use Bullet Seed!"

"Shiftry, use Feint Attack!"

Grovyle removed the plant in its mouth and shot Venasaur repeatedly with a fury of seeds. They only hit it and fell to the ground. Shiftry then appeared behind Venasaur, ready to strike, but Venasaur released two vines and grabbed it.

"Too slow," mocked Jonathan. "Venasaur, knock it into the other and then use Sunny Day!"

Venasaur tossed Shiftry at Grovyle, sending both to the ground. It then proceeded to use Sunny Day, making the rays of the sun shine down on them even more.

"Like that did anything! Shiftry, Razor Leaf!"

"Grovyle, use Bullet Seed!"

Shiftry launched a large amount of razor sharp leaves towards Venasaur, but nothing affected its rough skin. Grovyle's Bullet Seed had no effect as well.

"Use Razor Leaf," ordered Jonathan. Venasaur threw back a Razor Leaf attack toward them, but the swift Pokemon were able to dodge them all.

"Grovyle, use Quick Attack and try knocking it off its feet!"

"Shifty, use Double Slap to at least push it down!"

Both Pokemon charged at Venasaur. Venasaur continued to just stand there, doing nothing but glaring at its opponents. Grovyle used Quick Attack, but it only hurt its own head due to the impact. Shiftry tried next, using Double Slap against its face, but it didn't even flinch at each attack.

"Dammit!" yelled Brendan.

"Are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna fight?" asked Ash.

"Alright then," said Jonathan. "Use Vine Whip to push them away."

Venasaur released its Vine Whips once again, striking the Pokemon to push them back.

"Now use Solarbeam!"

Without even a second to dodge, Venasaur immediately struck them both with a Solarbeam. The attack was charged up so quickly due to Sunny Day still being in effect. Grovyle and Shiftry fell to the ground, but they were both unconscious.

"Dammit," said Ash as he returned Grovyle.

"We've still got this," said Brendan. "Time to send out our powerhouses!"

"Pika!"

Ash and Brendan tossed out Pokeballs, releasing Charizard and Aggron.

"Them again?" asked Jonathan. "Wouldn't you have a better chance with the Pikachu on your shoulder?"

"Charizard, send it into the sky!"

Charizard flew towards Venasaur at full speed, taking the large Pokemon without a struggle and bringing it up in the air. As soon as it was high enough, Charizard let go.

"Venasaur, use-"

"Aggron, use Rock Throw!" ordered Brendan. Aggron took a rock near it and tossed the large thing at Venasaur, ramming into its head and making it lose focus.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Aggron, use Hyper Beam!"

Both of their attacks together struck Venasaur in the air. It fell to the ground, and due to its heavy weight, it crashed against the ground hard enough that it left a small crater, it was now knocked out. Jonathan smirked and returned it.

"Good, good," said Jonathan. "I see that beating each other up powered up your brains. If that's the case, then it's time to bring out my A-game."

He threw a Pokeball, releasing Gallade. Immediately, as soon as it landed, Jonathan placed the Galladinite into the Mega Ring on his wrist, mega evolving Gallade into Mega Gallade.

"We can take you on!" yelled Ash.

"Give us your best shot!" yelled Brendan.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

Charizard, in the air, shot a Flamethrower at Mega Gallade. Mega Gallade immediately created a field around it to disperse the Flamethrower before the attack struck.

"Aggron, Hyper Beam!"

Aggron tried hitting Mega Gallade as well, but the field around it dispersed it just like Charizard's attack.

"Gallade, Psycho Ball!"

Mega Gallade created two, large Psycho Balls in its hands, throwing them both at the Pokemon. It struck, and clouds of smoke covered them. They broke through the smoke and ran towards Gallade.

"Aggron, Zen Headbutt!"

"Charizard, Steel Wing!"

Aggron, covering itself with blue energy, charged at Mega Gallade and hit it. This only pushed Mega Gallade just a little back. It then took Aggron and threw it directly on the incoming Charizard. They both fell to the ground.

"Gallade, Psychic Beam!"

Mega Gallade created a ball in its hand, and out of the ball went a beam with energy spiraling around it. Aggron ran in front of Charizard to block the attack, but the attack was much more powerful then it thought, and it was just launched away. It hit the ground.

"Aggron!" yelled Brendan. Aggron didn't get up, but they saw its hand twitch.

"Remember, there's not a Pokemon Center near here, so injuring your Pokemon too much could result in it suffering. If it's beaten, it's beaten."

They waited, and then they saw Aggron getting back up. It looked at Brendan, and then nodded. Brendan nodded back.

"We're not through just yet!" he yelled. "Aggron, use Hyper Beam!"

"Charizard, Fire Blast!"

They launched their powerful attacks toward Mega Gallade, but it created the psychic field around it, dispersing both attacks before they even got to it.

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!"

Gallade extended the already large blades on its elbows and charged at Aggron, but Charizard stood in front. Gallade, by instinct, struck Charizard with both blades, launching it away. Before it got any farther though, it was stopped in midair by Aggron, who grabbed onto it and pulled it down near it. They nodded to each other.

"I'm about to end this now," said Jonathan. "I've got training to do."

"You took the words right out of our mouths!" yelled Brendan.

"Yeah, but without the training!" yelled Ash.

Then suddenly, like they were in sync, they extended their arms, revealing their Mega Rings, and took out their Mega Stones for their respective Pokemon. With all their bonds and power within that stone, they placed it in the Mega Ring.

What didn't work before worked now. Balls of light engulfed both Pokemon, and when it tore open, there stood the more powerful, Mega Evolved forms of Charizard and Aggron: Mega Charizard X and Mega Aggron. The black skinned, blue flamed dragon roared, and the spikier, heavier, and bulkier powerhouse stomped its feet on the ground, ready to fight.

Jonathan's eyes were wide, and May and Dawn's mouths were wide open.

"Aggron, Zen Heabutt!" ordered Brendan.

Blue energy covered Mega Aggron, and it ran towards Mega Gallade. Mega Gallade created the field, but Mega Aggron was so powerful that it broke right through the field, and struck Mega Gallade. Mega Gallade was launched away, trying to regain its composure in midair.

"Charizard, you know what to do!"

Mega Charizard nodded and then flew at top speed past Mega Aggron and Mega Gallade, staying where it waited for Mega Gallade to come to it. When it got there, it grabbed Mega Gallade and rammed it on the ground, creating a crater.

"Gallade, quickly use Psycho Cut!"

Mega Gallade got up and tried striking Mega Charizard, but Mega Charizard grabbed the blade before it got hit. It then swung its tail at Mega Gallade, striking it so hard that it was pushed back far from Mega Charizard.

"Aggron, Hyper Beam!"

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

The Pokemon charged up their attacks in their mouths. Jonathan tried to quickly tell Gallade to dodge, but he was too late, and Mega Charizard's blue flames and Mega Aggron's purely white beam went for Mega Gallade, striking it at the exact same time. Not even a forcefield around it could stop the two attacks.

This created a huge black smoke that covered the area. Everyone covered their eyes, waiting for the moment when the smoke disappears.

When the smoke finally dispersed thanks to the winds, they saw it.

They saw Mega Gallade, still standing as it covered its face with its arms.

Jonathan smirked.

"Good job, Gallade. Now use-"

Mega Gallade suddenly changed back into Gallade. After a few seconds, it dropped to its knees as its face looked toward the sky, and then it fell.

Jonathan quickly ran over to it to check if it was okay, and when it turned Gallade over, he saw the swirls on its eyes.

Gallade had fainted. Ash and Brendan won.

"YEAH BOI!" exclaimed Brendan as he and Ash turned to each other and gave each other multiple high fives. They then put their arms around each other's shoulders and started dancing. Brendan had a huge smile on his face while laughing, while Ash kept his straight face. Dawn and May looked toward each other, gave a small smile, and shrugged. Pikachu was dancing near them. Mega Charizard and Mega Aggron gave each other an acknowledging nod.

"Oh my Arceus," said Jonathan in shock. "What am I gonna do now? He's out cold. I won't be able to practice for a week."

"Who's better at Mega Evolving now, bitch!" yelled Brendan as he laughed.

Ash and Brendan then looked at each other as Brendan smiled.

Somewhere, within the space that no one could see with the naked eye, sparks clashed between them.

"You thought I was joking, didn't ya?" asked Brendan with the smile still on his face. "Ready to get your ass kicked next?"

"Really?" asked Ash with his straight face. "I'll take you on right now if you want."

Mega Charizard and Mega Aggron gave each other a handshake. But they were holding the other's hand tightly as their faces showed pure determination to fight on.

Dawn came in-between Ash and Brendan and pushed their faces away.

"That's enough for today," said Dawn.

Jonathan sighed and returned Gallade. He turned back and saw the Mega Pokemon turning back into their original forms, being congratulated, and then being returned. He walks over to them.

"That was a nice battle we had there," said Jonathan as he extended out a hand.

No one shook it. Brendan was giving Jonathan a raspberry with his tongue and Ash was flipping the bird at him.

"Grow up!" yelled Dawn.

Jonathan's eye twitched, but he forced a smile.

"Well...anyway, just defeating me doesn't make you a powerful trainer yet. You've still got a long way to go."

"Unlike you!" exclaimed Brendan.

"We're on motorcycles while you're still at training wheels, asshole!" yelled Ash.

Jonathan's hand turned into a fist.

"Hey...how about I give you a prize?" said Jonathan as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out four tickets. "It's for our next show in Garbage Island. If you can come, you'll get in for free and get backstage passes. Pokemon are free of charge. But you've still got to pay for food though. So congra..."

The kids were already on their way, ignoring the tickets in Jonathan's hand.

"Finally that's over with," said Ash.

"Pika!"

"So you're satisfied now after beating the guy who kicked your asses once?" asked Dawn.

"How long until we get off this mountain?" asked May.

"Just a day or two, depending on how far we get today," said Brendan.

Jonathan stood there, watching them get further and further. Bob walked up behind Jonathan and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Bro...let it go."

Jonathan ripped up the tickets in his hands and angrily walked off.

"I fucking hate kids."

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** No matter how much he tries to get away, she always finds a way to get back to him. It is another Drew and Green adventure, and this time, Green is being nice to Drew by helping him with what he's doing, but isn't it a little too nice? How will this one turn out, and what is Green's true intentions? **Next Time: Drew and Green 3.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Well, just in case (and I mean just in case), you found some of the information in this chapter inaccurate (mega stone names, forms, how powerful they are), I apologize. I haven't got Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire yet, so I don't know the specifics of Mega Gallade. I heard it was getting a mega evolution, and Gallade is one of my fave Pokemon, so I had to include it on here or else I would never add it anywhere else in the story. I also know the mega stones doesn't have a name, so I made one myself, but if it ever shows up in the future, then I'll put down the right mega stone name for Gallade. So yeah, and so on to the next chapter, which will spotlight writing about those two rascals, so see you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 330)**


	5. Drew and Green 3

**This is the one hundred thirty-ninth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. I just love writing about these two. It just makes me so happy. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

The Pidgeys and Pidoves sung as they soared through the open, blue, clear sky over the beautiful water-filled town of Hargeon.

Hargeon Town, a town near the southwest side of the Ransei Region, was a town filled with water. Water replaced streets, and people had to ride on boats just to get around. The buildings were decorated in an ornate style. On clear days, when the sun struck the water, it was reflected against the beautiful buildings.

It was just a peaceful, calm town.

Within the beautiful, two story Pokemon Center, was the favorited green-haired boy. He was snoring repeatedly, but then a Pidove crashed against the balcony door glass, waking him up. His eyes opened, and he looked toward the curtains that covered the balcony doors.

He was lucky to get the special room where he had a balcony.

Today, he felt energized and removed the blankets and jumped out of bed.

If this was a crappy musical, he would be singing right now.

He went for the balcony doors and pulled open the curtains. He forcefully opened them, knocking the Pidove that was trying to recover from the crash off the balcony toward the ground.

He looked out and saw the ocean in the distance, and saw the sun glisten on the blue waters. The peaceful area and the soft sounds of the people in the morning made him feel good.

He gave a large smile as he shut his eyes and listened to everything as the winds blew through his green hair.

There was only one thing going on his mind right now.

_"Today's going to be a go-"_

A bag suddenly covered his head, and then a sac covered his entire body. He was pushed to the ground, and then he felt himself being dragged away.

**Drew and Green 3**

* * *

Drew was yelling and squirming in the bag over and over again. He continued to hear water, and he felt the ground underneath him sway. He heard a motor somewhere around him.

He was freaking out. There was no way in his life did he ever think he was going to be captured. Who knows where he was going to go. Maybe this was someone who found him and thought he was awesome enough to forcefully bring him toward a meeting room where he would be forced to sign a contract that he now gives his life to them. Maybe this was a secret agent who was here to recruit him on a secret mission. Maybe this was some crazed bitch that he had a kid with, and she was forcing him to marry her!

Nothing could be even worse.

He then felt a hand get placed on his chest to stop him from moving around. He heard metal, and then he saw a knife with its pointed edge stab right through the bag near his face, making him squeal like a mouse. He saw this knife move downward, creating a slit, bringing in the sunlight. When it was removed, the slit was large enough for him to escape.

He gulped, taking a fork from his back pocket and placing his fingers on the slit. He was ready to fight this person.

_"Not today!"_

He ripped open the slit and gave a Tarzan-like yell while positioning the fork to strike his opponent, but as soon as he sat up, the shock made him drop the fork to the ground.

This was even worse than he ever imagined.

There was the brunette holding onto a pocket knife, with her elbow on the edge and her legs crossed. She was the most despised person that Drew could think of. She was the very bane of his existence. She was...whatever else she was that made Drew's life miserable.

This was Green, and in Drew's book, she was one crazy-assed bitch.

She was ignoring Drew's yell, looking at the pocket knife in her hand.

Drew, seeing that she hadn't even looked at him, looked around. He noticed that he was on a motorboat, riding along the ocean blue. He was placed on the ground while Green sat.

They stayed like that for a while, and then Drew gulped.

"H-Hi," he said.

Green's eyes turned to him. Those cold eyes made the boy's shiver.

She was just staring at him. Usually if you captured someone without even a motherfucking warning, you tell them what the fuck is going on!

"Well..." said Drew as he played with his thumbs. "What do you want?"

Green continued to stare at him, and then she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Sure."

_"Sure?"_

"I'll go with you."

_"Go with me? Go with me where?"_

"If you're just gonna keep bothering me about it, I might as well do it. I'm feeling nice today."

_"I didn't say anything. Where are we going? Dafuq you sayin, bitch!?"_

They were quiet for a few more minutes. Sweat started to pour down Drew's forehead. He was about to jump overboard in a few seconds if this silence continued.

"A-Are you gonna at least explain? Please."

A crumbled up paper was tossed at his face. He looked at it, and the title was "Treasure Hunters".

It was a flyer, made by random teenagers and wanna-be archaeologists giving news to people about things they should check out. A picture showed a cartoonish island obviously taken from ClipArt. Under it read:

_Sup, dudes and dudettes! Today, we found something that'll blow your minds! On an island off the coast of Hargeon Town, there is said to be a whole bunch of treasure. Real, pure gold treasure! Many have gone, but none have returned! I'm making this __flyer__ before heading out, dudes! If you ever see me, I'm wearing a red khaki shirt with a red hat, bruh! There's a whole bunch, so take as much as your bag can carry!_

And in really, really small print:

_Not responsible for any type of traumatic experience, injury, or death._

Drew looked up at Green.

"Excuse me?"

"We're on our way there," said Green. "You're lucky I was able to *cough* find us a boat."

Drew looked down at the paper, back to Green, out to sea, back at the paper, and then back to Green.

"I asked you to go on this with me?" asked Drew, putting emphasizing on the I.

Green didn't respond.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and then Drew sighed.

"What do you really want?"

"Hey, did you bring any weapons with you?"

"No," said Drew, remembering that all his stuff and Pokemon were still at the Pokemon Center.

"Uh-huh," said Green as she looked out. Drew could tell he did something wrong.

Drew stared back at the flyer and back to Green.

"Listen, I don't know what you're planning today, but it's not going to work on me. I'm not going. You can go yourself."

"What a shame. You'll be missing out on all that treasure, though," said Green as she started to position the pocketknife in her hand toward Drew and proceeded to wave it around. Drew could feel he was in danger, and he quickly looked back at the flyer.

"Does this island even exist? What's it called?"

"Dickcutter's Island."

"I'M OUT!"

Drew stood and placed his foot on the edge of the boat.

"What are you doing?"

"Swimming back."

"That wouldn't be a good idea if I were you. This part of the sea is infested with Sharpedos."

"Ha, ha, very funny."

He placed his foot in, and then quickly removed it before a Sharpedo chomped off his foot, but it bit off his sneaker, plus the sock.

Ten minutes in and he already lost a sneaker.

He slowly sat back down and waited. They sat in silence for at least twenty minutes before Green rose her head.

"We're here," said Green.

Drew looked out and saw the island in the distance. Already he saw the dark clouds shaped like skull and bones only over that island, and he could see large flying creatures flying around the island. Those were not Pokemon.

Tears flowed down his face as he gave a smile.

_"Goodbye, world."_

* * *

Drew and Green's motorboat landed on the island's shore. Green stepped out and stretched. Drew was just staring at Green with focused, stern eyes. After she was done stretching, she turned to Drew.

"What?"

"I'm watching you," said Drew as he pointed a finger at her while spinning it.

"Pfft. Whatever."

Green started walking on. When she entered the thick forest, Drew knew that this was a good time to hop on that motorboat and start riding away. There were multiple motorboats along the shore of the island as well. He checked to see if Green was anywhere and smirked.

_"See ya, bitch!"_

He was about to hop on that boat, but then a thunderbolt crashed down on the motorboat, setting it on fire. Then octopus tentacles grabbed the boat and brought it down into the water.

Drew only stared at what happened, and then he turned towards the forest, placed his hands in his pocket, and whistled while he was on his way.

* * *

Drew was right behind Green, shivering as he heard the screams, the movements, and the feeling of being watched.

He saw eyes looking at them from the bushes.

"You feel that?!"

"Feel what?" asked Green.

He saw carvings on trees saying: _turn back_.

"Doesn't this freak you out in even the slightest way?!"

"Is there supposed to be something to freak me out?"

Suddenly, she stopped and went down as an axe attached to a string came swinging down to them. Drew moved to the side quickly as the axe cut off pieces of his hair.

"Don't tell me you didn't see that!"

"See what?" asked Green as she went back up with a penny in her hand. She placed it in her pocket and kept walking.

Drew continued to follow Green, but then he felt a chilly wind go past him. He looked down and saw a skeleton against a tree on the ground wearing a red khaki shirt and a red hat.

_"Holy shit!"_

Before he could tell Green, five skeleton pirates popped out from the bushes with swords in their hands. They gave "arghs" at the kids. This time Drew didn't say anything. Green turned to him. Drew stared at her. Green moved her arms to them. Drew shrugged.

"Well."

"What?"

"There are walking skeletons in front of us with swords in their hands. Isn't that weird to you at all?"

"Not really. I've met aliens before. This is nothing."

Drew then removed his other sneaker and tossed it at the head of one of the pirate skeletons. It fell to the ground, leaving its sword and hat. Drew took the sword, hat, and also the eyepatch and placed the items on himself. He got into a fencing stance with the sword.

"You ready to do this, Green?" he asked.

No one responded. He turned back, and he didn't see anybody there. He heard rustling in the forest near him, and his open eye without the eyepatch twitched.

He thought they were in this shit together. Well, he didn't even want to be here in the first place. He was forced to come.

While he was distracted, one of the skeletons went toward him and knocked the sword from his hand, leaving him weaponless. He stared at them as they got closer and then he gave a weak smile.

"So...pizza tonight?"

* * *

Drew screamed and yelled as the pirates held onto him and he ducked and dodged at every swing of their swords. He kept running away, not stopping for anything as more skeletons popped up.

He jumped over a bush and sat behind it as the pirate skeletons ran past.

His hair was ruffled, his clothes were ripped up, he only had one sock, and a skeleton hand was still attached to his ankle.

In front of him was Green, sitting on a beach chair sipping a smoothie. She was wearing a grass skirt, a coconut bra, and sunglasses.

They just stared at each other.

"Where the fuck have you been?" asked Drew.

"Here."

Oh Arceus that floats in the clouds watching the stupidity of mankind, please help Drew not take the DAMN skeleton arm and slap the bitch with it.

"You done?" she asked.

Drew nodded slowly. Green burped, tossed the smoothie cup on the ground, got back up, and removed her sunglasses. He got up and walked with her until Drew started to hearing a river in the distance. They were getting closer to it.

Soon, after they past some trees and bushes, they finally got to the river.

It had a calm current, and it wasn't that large either. They could swim toward the other side if they wanted. Drew began to think that this may have been the most peaceful place on the island.

"Finally things are going our way. Let's start swimming."

Before he jumped in, Green grabbed the back of his shirt.

"What?" asked Drew with hints of being annoyed in his voice. She only pointed at the river. From where Drew was standing, he saw Carvanhas jumping out of the water, biting the air as a threatening sign toward Drew and Green.

Drew calmly pulled away from Green's grip and proceeded to walk back into the forest.

"What are you doing?" asked Green.

"Going back."

"But we've already gone so far."

"The boats by the shore are about five minutes away. I'd rather go back than get my face bitten off."

"Get your ass over here!"

"No way!"

Before Drew could take another step, Green grabbed his hair and rammed him backwards on the ground. Drew clenched the back of his head after it hit the ground and looked angrily at Green.

"Then you figure out a way to get past them, smartass!"

"Why are boys so lazy?" sighed Green.

"Says the person who ditched me to fight pirate skeletons by myself!"

Green looked around, and then she smirked.

"Get up."

Drew slowly got up, awaiting the plan. Before he could ask though, Green pushed him into the river.

The sight of those Carvanhas biting him all over his body will forever haunt the boy's mind. And with those tiny seconds of going above water while violently splashing around, he saw Green floating in the air with her inflated Jigglypuff to get to the other side.

After minutes of experiencing hell, Drew was able to get to the other side. He dropped his body on the ground and breathed heavily while water dropped from his face. He felt a Carvanha biting his leg, but he didn't pay any attention to it.

Green looked down at him.

"Why did you do that?" asked Drew.

"Because I needed to get to the other side, so I used Jigglypuff. Great plan, huh?"

"But why throw me in there?"

"Because how else would you cross the river? Come on, let's keep going before night comes. I hear it gets REALLY crazy at night."

She walked into the forest as Drew still lied on the ground. He finally looked at the Carvanha on his leg.

Maybe it would be better if he went back into that river.

* * *

After many other trails and close-to-death experiences, Drew and Green finally made it to the middle of the island, where a large volcano-shaped structure stood. But this structure didn't function as an actual volcano. At the base was an open doorway that led into a dark cave, and past that cave is where the treasure is supposed to be.

Drew, exhausted as fuck and so close to death that if he closed his eyes, he wouldn't open them again, walked sluggishly behind the brunette.

Green, on the other hand, was perfectly fine.

They had entered the cave already. There wasn't much danger in it at all, and it was like a single pathway that turned in different directions. It wasn't dark either, because there were torches on the walls that provided light.

"Are we there yet?" asked Drew.

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"I said no."

"Are we there yet?"

"For the last time, no."

"Are we there yet?"

"Now we are."

They entered a large, empty room. Above was a large hole that looked up into the sky. They were in the middle of the place.

"There's nothing here," said Drew.

"That's impossible," said Green as she looked around. "It should be here. Maybe we came to the wrong place."

"I'M NOT MOVING AROUND THIS ISLAND ANY LONGER!" yelled Drew. "IF YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ME TODAY, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING! I'M GETTING MY ASS OFF THIS ISLAND EVEN IF I HAVE TO FIGHT YOU, YOU..."

The rest was just a blur to Green, ignoring Drew as she looked around the place. She moved her foot, touching a large rock. But this rock was really a rock, for when Green stepped on it, the top tore like paper. Green, finding this suspicious, kicked it again, pushing the paper-mâché rock to the side. Underneath it were two big buttons, blue and red.

Green bent down and inspected them. The blue had the words don't touch, and the red had the words do touch.

Knowing that this wasn't a cliche cartoon show, she went for the red button, thinking that red buttons weren't always the most dangerous to press in these kinds of situations.

"...AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY THAT'S BULLSH-"

Drew stopped when he saw small holes open up on the walls. Immediately, darts shot out. Drew moved his body in every which way to dodge them while screaming like a little girl. Green was bent on the ground, completely avoiding the darts.

When they were all finally gone, Drew stopped. He wasn't hurt at all. A smirk formed on his face.

"Ha!" he yelled as he raised his hands in the air. "You can't kill me today, Arceus! You just can't!"

A lone dart then shot out from one of the holes, injecting itself into Drew's right buttcheek.

Green, oblivious to it all, turned to the blue button.

"Well, that did nothing," said Green. "How about this one?"

She pressed it. Before Drew could turned to the dart on his butt, a large area of the ground opened up, and Drew was conveniently over it. He fell into it, but then after a few seconds, a platform was being raised from the ground, and Drew was lying flat on his stomach on it. When it was done, he looked up, and his eyes widened.

There, in front of them both, was gold stacked on one another that rose high up. Drew, in shock, moved back next to Green, who got up with a smile on her face.

"That went better than I expected," she said.

Drew looked at the treasure in pure shock. He never actually thought they'd make it.

_"There was treasure here!" _he thought. _"Oh Arceus. T-This means I'll be richer than May, I think. I-I'll be able to buy a bunch of stuff. I'll...I'll...I'll be able to do other stuff that I don't actually care about!"_

"We did it, Green!" exclaimed Drew as he turned to Green. "We actually d-"

Green was by him, just standing there motionless while looking at the treasure. Drew stared at her, and then back at the treasure, and then back at her.

_"Wait a minute."_

It all started to make sense. A look of shock appeared on his face as his mouth opened, and he pointed an accusing finger at the brunette, who stared back at him confused.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You!" said Drew. "You thought I wouldn't find out! You forced me to come here for a reason! You just wanted me to protect you while saying you'd give treasure to me, but in the end, you'll betray me by knocking me out or ditching me just so you'd steal all the treasure for yourself!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! I'm not gonna be tricked by you! I'll knock you out first. Come at me!"

"Why would I knock you out?"

"To steal the treasure!"

"But I told you I'd help you get it. I don't need any treasure."

"Ah-hah! So you finally admit that-wait, what?"

"I said I don't need treasure. We've made it. Now get your treasure so we can leave."

Drew was in deep confusion. The look on Green's face was just impatient now, like she just wanted to go. Drew didn't feel anything coming from her. She didn't look like she was going to do something to him. One part of his brain knew she was lying, and as soon as he faced the treasure, she'd kick him in the balls or something.

But on the other side of his brain, he actually felt like she was telling the truth.

He looked back at the treasure, and then to Green. She moved her head toward the treasure, signaling Drew to go for it. He pointed to it with a confused look, and Green nodded. He took a tiny step forward and looked back. She was just standing there, watching. He took a few more and looked back, but once again she did nothing.

He got to the treasure and slowly bent down while facing her. She extended her arm and did a shooing type of movement with her hand, telling him to go for it. He picked up a gold coin and slowly got up. Green nodded.

He looked at the coin, and then at Green.

_"Is she serious?"_

"Are we done yet?" asked Green. "I've got other stuff to do today."

Drew looked at the coin in his hand, and then smiled.

"Wow, I never thought you'd be this nice to me."

"I'm always nice."

"You know what," said Drew as he turned back to her. "When we get out of here, the first thing I'll spend my money on is for whatever you'd like. My treat. Maybe after this, then we'll-"

As he placed the coin in his pocket, a siren suddenly blared within that cave. Drew looked around surprised, but then he heard footsteps coming from an entrance on the other side of the cave.

When they arrived, they looked like tanned, buff men with markings on their bodies and decorations that made them resemble Native Americans. They had long spears in their hands, and they surrounded Drew.

Drew, still in shock, didn't move, but then a small, old man that dressed similar to the others broke through the crowd.

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked. "A thief?"

"A-A thief?" asked Drew. "What?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Certainly not looking for treasure."

"How dare you barge in our homeland and try taking our gold."

"B-But wasn't this supposed to be an abandoned island?"

"This is the island of Dickcutter," said the old man. "It is an island of people that governs itself rather than being told what to do by the royals of the Ransei Region. This island was passed down from generation to generation. We allow tourists to come to our island to see the beauties of it, but other than that, it is not acceptable to come uninvited. It is safe here."

"Safe? I almost died at least fifty times today!"

"Yeah...they usually come from the west side of the island. The east side's dangerous with wild Pokemon. We usually hold a Halloween event there for the children to spook them up a little. We sometimes forget to clean up after."

"So wait..." said Drew. "If this island's a place where tourists are allowed to explore, does that mean this gold is just for show and it's actually fake?"

"No, that gold's real as my dick. We collect gold from our people monthly to tend to the needs of them. And we don't appreciate that being stolen from a thief like you."

The men raised their spears and pointed them at Drew.

Drew stood there motionless, but then he started laughing.

"I see, I see," said Drew. "Then that means those pirate skeletons, those flying monsters in the air, random bolts of lightning, and that large octopus are all fake then. Even that skeleton dressed as that boy from the flyer with that red khaki shirt are fake just for the fun, right?"

"What?" said the old man. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Listen, this is just a big misunderstanding," said Drew as he took the coin from his pocket and threw it back into the pile. "It's too hard for me to explain, so how about I let my friend Green explain. Am I right, Gr-"

He turned back and saw an empty space from where Green was standing. He sighed.

_"Of course."_

The spears got closer, and he gulped while giving off a forced smile.

"So...you've got a gift shop?"

* * *

After running for his life while cursing Green's life, Drew barely made it to one of the boats by the shore and jumped into one of them. He hot-wired it and it started moving on the ocean while dodging flying arrows, lightning bolts, and the octopus that would occasionally try pulling his boat down.

He was so pissed he didn't even care if Green was still on the island or not.

When he got back to Hargeon Town, he went for the Pokemon Center.

He was walking slowly and was limping. His body was bruised up, his clothes were ripped, and he could swear he had internal bleeding. He just wanted to lie on his bed and sleep, forgetting about today.

But then he fell to the ground, unable to move, by some vending machines.

The dart that was still on his butt started to effect him.

_"Bullshit."_

No one noticed him, and he felt like he was there for hours as the sun started to set. Anyone who did notice thought he was doing the plank. They gave him a thumbs-up and left. He just had to wait for the paralysis to wear off.

After he while, he noticed a certain brunette standing over him.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked angrily. She didn't even respond. She just bent down and reached for his pocket.

"H-Hey! What the hell are you doing in there!"

She pulled out his wallet, and then took out a dollar. She dropped his wallet down on the ground and walked toward the vending machines.

"Hey! Get back over here! We're not finished yet!"

Green walks in front of a vending machine and browses at the different snacks.

"Thank Arceus I was able to get this dollar from you," she said without turning back. "I've been wanting one from you since this morning. I lost my key, so I can't enter my room and get my own money. Nurse Joy said the locksmiths were busy and she'd get one by the end of the day. I thought I was gonna starve until I saw you passing by."

"Why didn't you just ask me for one?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't give it to me."

"Damn straight!"

"My point exactly. So I had to take big measures to take this off you."

"Big measures?"

"Yeah. Everything went better than I thought it would."

Then, with his mind getting corrupt thanks to whatever was in that dart, he made up such a silly accusation.

"I see," he said as his eye twitched. "So you purposely forced me to go on that island, risked getting killed, and watched me get maimed and possibly be scarred for life just for a dollar?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Green put the dollar in and then bought a bag of nuts. She took it, opened it, and proceeded to eat.

Drew only stared at her. Murderous thoughts filled his mind after Green confirmed his accusation.

"I think that locksmith opened my door by now," she said. "I better go check."

She started walking away.

"GET BACK OVER HERE, YOU BITCH! YOU OWE ME A FUCKING DOLLAR!"

Green put a middle finger in the air as she continued walking.

Drew wanted to chase after her, but he couldn't move.

_"She won't escape yet! This will wear off, and then I'll kill her!"_

* * *

Drew was there for a full three days. No water, no food, no help. A videocamera was near him that some teenager placed there, making the world see live of the boy who'd break the world record for the longest plank. His mind was going crazy.

It was late at night, and the bell in the distance rang, signifying that it was midnight, marking this now as his fourth day.

"It's almost done," he mumbled. "I just have to wait a little bit longer."

As he stayed there, a pack of Mightyenas that must've snuck into town came toward him. They surrounded him and sniffed him everywhere. Drew only gave a small smile.

"Hey there, Dr. Momo," he said. "Who's a good boy? You are. You are."

"Dr. Momo" then growled, and the other Mightyenas growled as well. They they started biting the boy, dragging him away.

"WAIT! DON'T DO THAT, DR. MOMO! SIT! SIT! I SAID SIT YOU DUMB DOG!"

And that's how Drew was raised by Mightyanas for a week.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Legends say that a certain Pokemon that gracefully walks on the surface of water has the ability to purify that water immediately. After a village's water source becomes filthy, they wait for their savior, who doesn't show up, and Ash and his friends are there to help instead. What happened to this graceful Pokemon, and what connection does it have with May? **Next Time: Embodiment of North Winds.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. I have plenty of fun writing about Drew and Green, mostly because when they are together, I can start writing random, unexplainable shit that wouldn't make any sense, and that's what makes it fun. These chapters just came out late because I just got a bit carried away while writing this chapter and almost forgot that I had to end it. They may be separated for now, but Drew and Green's crazy ass adventures will return once again. Next two chapters should come by Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, depending on how lazy I am, and then my updates will return to being every Monday from then on, so see you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 330)**


	6. Embodiment of North Winds

**This is the one hundred fortieth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Another late update, but it should be fixed up by the end of Thanksgiving break. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

"It is certainly in this direction," said May as she and the others carefully walked along the tall grass that went higher than their heads. "There should be someplace with people around here...I think."

"You think?" asked Dawn. "I think we should head back to the main path. It's dangerous in this area of the forest."

"No, we should keep going. I can feel it."

"Stop grabbing my leg, Brendan," said Ash.

"That's not me. I'm standing right next to you!"

"Then who else is...oh wait, is that a tentacle?"

He was suddenly then brought into the tall grass. Brendan sighed and turned back to get him.

After a while, with hope slowly starting to deteriorate, they reached the end of the tall grass. When the girls broke through, smiles quickly formed on their faces. Ash and Brendan came a few seconds later as Ash was kicking something that was attached to his leg. When they looked ahead, they were relieved.

Close was a village, large enough as the large lake that the village was built on the shores of.

May turned to the others and gave a sly smirk.

"See. I told you I could find us a place to gather some supplies."

Dawn looked in awe, especially toward the lake by the village. Then her amazed expression vanished.

"That lake's dirty," she said.

May looked out and noticed the green colored lake. It looked beyond polluted and disgusting. Garbage could be seen floating on the water's surface.

They all stared out at it, but then May turned to them and gave a smile still.

"Beggars can't be choosers."

She then turned and ran off toward the village. The others sighed and slowly followed her.

**Embodiment of North Winds**

* * *

Upon entering the village, they already saw the contrast between the surrounding area and the village itself. People were tanned and wore clothes made of feathers and fine wool. The buildings were made of wood and they were at a fine distance from each other. Even when the village was small, it still had a Pokemon Center, and a market for travelers. The Pokemon Center had a tanned Nurse Joy, wearing similar clothing to the people.

The smell that was coming from the polluted lake was not present within this small village due to the incense and other things that could block out the smell.

"This was different than what I thought," said Brendan as he looked around, noticing a stand where they sell merchandise.

"And you guys say I'm a bad navigator," boasted May. "Let's go get supplies. We'll rest here tonight and then hit the road tomorrow morning."

"Aye ma'am."

Brendan said that with an obvious sarcastic tone as he immediately went for the PokeMart. Dawn turned to May and gestured that she was going with Brendan. She ran off, leaving Ash and May there.

"Is there any food here?" asked Ash.

May grabbed his arm.

"We'll find that later. Let's go book a room first."

Ash groaned as she started dragging him toward the Pokemon Center.

* * *

"I can't believe they have all this. I expected homemade materials and more weird stuff, but they have stuff from other places in Ransei. I guess this village isn't as isolated as I thought."

Brendan and Dawn just walked out of the PokeMart after finishing their errands. Three bags were on Brendan's arms, two on one and one on his other arm. Dawn was behind him carrying one.

"Don't be mean," she said in annoyance. "It's still a nice place."

"Explain the dirty lake that's near here," said Brendan. "Have they even thought about cleaning it?"

"Says the person who-"

She was cut off after her gaze focused on a stand where merchandise were being sold. Next to that stand was a man on top of a platform. Little kids around the ages of five or six were crowded around him waving their arms in the air. He had a basket under his arm, and he happily pulled out an object. It looked like it was carved from wood into a shape of a Pokemon on its four legs with a large, hexagonal, cerulean crest on its forehead.

"And one for you, and you, and you..."

This kept going until every kid had one, and they ran off giggling with large smiles on their faces. The man watched them go, and then saw Dawn's gaze on him. He pulled out another from the basket.

"Would you like one, young miss?"

Dawn, realizing that he was referring to her, slowly walked toward him and took the object from his hand.

"What is this?" she asked.

"You must be a traveler to not know what that is in this village," said the man as he jumped off the platform and put down the empty basket. "It's free. I made it for the little children, but I had an extra."

Brendan, noticing that Dawn wasn't speaking, turned back and walked toward her. He saw the object.

"Is this a Pokemon?" he asked.

"That's Suicune," said the man as he looked as if he was closing down shop. "The Embodiment of North Winds."

"Is it special to this village?" asked Dawn, realizing that the merchandise the man sold were similar to the object.

"Damn right."

The man somehow folded his whole stand into a straight board and walked off while waving.

"See ya at tomorrow's event."

He walked off.

"What event?" asked Dawn.

* * *

"Now where was the Pokemon Center again?"

"And you said you were a good navigator."

Ash and May, who had already left Brendan and Dawn half an hour ago, were already lost while looking for the Pokemon Center. May, being too persistent to ask for directions since she wanted to find their way there, and Ash not giving a single fuck made the task harder. It was amazing though that they got lost in such a small village.

"We've been down this way, and that way, and that way. So that means the Pokemon Center has to be this way."

"But we've been that way."

"No we haven't!" said May as she started running down the path she specified.

Soon enough, they found themselves by the dirty lake.

"Told ya," said Ash.

May puffed out her cheeks and looked around. She saw an old lady by the lake covered in an ornate, black robe. May, finally giving up, ran toward her.

"Excuse me-"

The old lady turned to May. She looked to be in her late seventies, and she was short, being even shorter than May. She had a cane by her side.

"-do you know where the Pokemon Center is?"

"Just head back and make a right," said the old lady as she looked back out at the lake. "Just keep walking and you'll find it."

"I told you!" yelled Ash.

"Thank you," said May. She was about to run, but the women spoke again.

"This lake shall be purified once again."

May stopped and turned to her.

"Every month, on a certain day, the Pokemon that purifies water by touching it comes. This Pokemon is named Suicune."

"I've heard about it," said May. "It's hard to spot though. It always runs away."

"Not here. We get to see its graceful beauty dance on these waters."

"Really?!"

"Yes. Travelers who are lucky to come get to witness it. We aren't supposed to disturb it at all. We can only watch."

She then looked toward the sky.

"Such a peaceful Pokemon. It was once a normal Pokemon that played within the Burned Tower within Ecruteak City. But then, when the tower was set ablaze one day, it died with two others. A tragic death as well that would not even be recognized by the human race. But from the death, it was brought to life in a majestic form by the legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh."

"Ho-Oh," May repeated the name.

"Yes, Ho-Oh. That majestic beauty brought it back, along with Entei and Raikou. These three travel around Ransei, helping people and Pokemon to make sure the world becomes a better place. Such a beautiful tale for such beautiful Pokemon."

"It is," May responded. The older women nodded and then turned, walking away.

"Tomorrow's the day Suicune is set to appear. If you want, you can stay and see. But don't take any photos or be a disturbance. That'll cause it to run away."

May watched her go, until she went back into the village. May looked back out at the lake for a few moments, and them ran toward Ash, who was waiting patiently for her to finish.

* * *

The next day, the people and trainers passing by hearing about the rumors of seeing Suicune gathered near the lake. The stench lingered in the air, but incense was placed around them, blocking out some of the smell. It was an hour before noon, and everyone talked as if they had been awake for hours.

Ash and his friends were there as well, but Ash was already looking like he'd rather be on a bed.

"When is it getting here?"

"They said it's supposed to be coming between 11 and 11:10," said Brendan.

"How are they sure that Suicune comes at that time?" asked Dawn.

"They said Suicune's been doing this for over ten years," said Brendan. "This lake is connected to a river that a nearby village irresponsibly dumps their waste in. Most of the waste comes here. They're lucky Suicune comes to fix it up for them. It cleanses water all over Ransei."

"So this is like its job?" asked Dawn.

"It's doing this out of the kindness in its heart," said May. "I don't think it regrets helping out at all."

"And if that thing doesn't come?" asked Ash.

"It'll come. I can feel it."

After a few moments, the old women May met yesterday, who seemed to be the leader of the village, stood nearest to the lake, raising her hands. Others around her told the person nearest them to quiet down, and it continued until everyone was quiet.

The woman spoke.

"It is now where the graceful Pokemon that dances on water shall show its act of kindness. Respect him and honor him. Thank Arceus for sending a savior to us every year to cleanse our waters. We'll have healthier crops, better water, and a beautiful lake. Come Suicune, and become our savior."

Everything was quiet. The people of the village clasped their hands together and closed their eyes. One by one, people started to close their eyes. Trainers who didn't know what was happening simply followed by closing their eyes as well. Ash and his friends still had their eyes wide open, looking at the lake, waiting for Suicune to descend on it.

And nothing happened.

For fifteen minutes, nothing happened.

Eyes opened up one by one, and people started to whisper. The whispers got louder until the quiet was gone. They were all in confusion. Even the old woman in front was staring at the lake in astonishment. Dawn checked her Pokewatch.

It was 11:20.

"Maybe it's coming late," said Brendan as an excuse.

"Maybe it just didn't want to come today," said Dawn, placing her hands on her sides in disappointment. "Or maybe they mixed up the days."

"Thank Arceus this was free," added in Ash as he turned to Pikachu on his shoulder. "If this was a paid event, then I'd be yelling rip off."

He then turned to May.

"Since it's not happening, can we get back to the Pokemon Center."

She didn't respond.

But then, the feeling suddenly came out of nowhere.

The feeling that they both felt, at the same time, warning them of something.

But what they were feeling were two different things.

They started to look around frantically, attracting the attention of Dawn and Brendan.

"You okay?" asked Brendan.

Then, May's gaze focused on one direction.

Toward the forest, and Ash was also focused on there as well.

She then bolted, running past people.

"May!" yelled Ash. He took Pikachu and gave it to Brendan quickly while preparing to run.

"What happened?" asked Dawn.

"Stay here!" said Ash quickly, looking at Brendan. "I'll get her, but if anything happens to this village, I'm counting on you and Pikachu to take care of it."

Brendan was confused, but then he got serious.

"It's them?"

"Be careful," said Ash, and he suddenly ran off toward the forest.

* * *

May was running past trees and bushes, heading in the direction that made the feeling in her stomach stronger. Ash was right behind her, calling out her name, but she didn't respond to him.

The feeling Ash was feeling was sinister, therefore he already knew who he'd be dealing with, but he never once thought that May had the same feeling as well.

Or was it the same feeling?

They kept running, until Ash finally felt it at its highest point.

May walked up behind a tree and peeked out, but then distress covered her face.

"Sui-"

Ash came, covered her mouth, and hid behind the tree. He breathed heavily, and then he slowly peeked out.

He knew it.

Standing right in a small open field was a someone with a black coat, with silver metals around the chest. The black hood was pulled up, but the way that person looked already told who it was.

It was a Dark Signer.

This particular one was just standing there, holding a book. From the way he looked, Ash could tell he was a man.

But there was something else that piqued his anger.

In front of that Dark Signer, within a bubble-like trap floating a little above ground, with its eyes closed and its body limp, was the four-legged blue Pokemon. The Pokemon that had a large, hexagonal, cerulean crest on its forehead.

It was Suicune, and he was captured.

May was struggling in Ash's arm, trying to break free, but Ash held on tightly, staring at the Pokemon within the bubble, and then at the Dark Signer.

The Dark Signer closed the book.

"Well, well, well," he said. "I see that we've got some visitors."

Suddenly, large gust of sharp wind went toward them, and Ash ducked as the tree easily cut in half. He jumped out of the way quickly as another came and tore up the place he was just in.

"And I've also got the Aura Guardian. Lucky me."

Ash clenched his teeth, and then he quietly placed May down behind bushes.

"Stay here," he said.

"But Suicune-"

"I'll do something about it. You just stay here."

The Dark Signer stared at their location while tapping his foot.

"Are you just gonna keep me waiting?"

Ash suddenly broke through the bushes, materialized his Aura Blade, and was now in front of The Dark Signer, about to aim his swinging blade at his neck.

The blade struck his neck, going through, and ripping the man's head from his body as blood quickly rushed out of the opening.

Even after doing that, Ash knew it wasn't that easy.

It was never that easy.

"That was just an illusion I created."

Ash turned around and saw The Dark Signer standing there, reading his book once again. The corpse that was supposed to be behind Ash wasn't there anymore.

"All just a petty illusion created by me," said The Dark Signer as he removed his hood from his head, revealing his steel-blue hair, which sported messy bangs that completely covered the right side of his face, reaching about an inch or two past his chin. This covered his right eye, leaving only his left visible. On his left side, his bangs, though still rather long, are shorter than the right side, partially covering his ear. A few strands of hair fall over the exposed section of his face. The back of his hair is quite a bit shorter than the front. His calm, gray eyes looked at Ash.

"My name is Zexion, The Cloaked Schemer," said Zexion. "I never thought I'd ever have the chance to fight you alone."

"How's that luck?" said Ash as he prepared to charge at the man again, but he wasn't there.

He was right behind Ash, with the spine of his book over the boy's head.

"All an illusion."

He just lightly tapped the book on Ash's head, and Ash was pushed to the ground. A small crater formed where he was. He was confused, but didn't have time to linger on it. He angrily turned to Zexion behind him, but then his eyes caught the feet of the girl he was sure he told SPECIFICALLY to stay down.

May was running toward Suicune, not even looking at them.

Zexion had noticed, and powerful gusts of sharp wind went for May. She tripped, and the wind went right past her, but not without leaving a cut on her cheek.

"Hey!" yelled Ash as he quickly covered his feet in aura and kicked at Zexion, who grabbed his foot, dangling him upside down.

"Your persistence-"

His body then melted, turning into black liquid that fell on Ash. The liquid covered him, quickly hardening and immobilizing him. Zexion was right behind his copy.

"-is an illusion."

"Cut the illusion crap!" yelled Ash as aura suddenly surrounded him, destroying the hardened liquid, getting him free.

Before getting up, he turned back and saw May get back up and run toward Suicune. His eye twitched and he looked back at Zexion. Aura was surrounding his body as he prepared to strike with his blade.

"I've obtained the legendary Suicune, and I'm ordered to return it back to the one in charge," he said without taking his eyes off the book. "I can't have you messing that up. Right now, it is in a deep slumber, experiencing illusions as if it never got captured. It doesn't even realize it's captured now. I'll shall put you through those exact same illusions."

"Then I guess I'll just shatter those illusions!"

As Ash tried hitting Zexion, May got to the bubble and placed her hands on it, touching it, trying to find a way to pop or open it. After finding no way, she looked at Suicune and started talking.

"Hey! Hey! Can you hear me? Speak to me if you can! You did before! Hey!"

Ash, failing to hit Zexion with his blade over and over as whenever he hit the man, he disappeared and appeared somewhere else, but the book remained floating in the air. Ash continued to do this at least fifteen times, before he realized what was happening.

The books were surrounding him, and Zexion stood out of the circle, snapped his fingers, and then they all raced toward Ash and struck him simultaneously. Unlike normal books, these felts as hard as bricks.

"I thought words weren't supposed to hurt me!"

"All of that is an illusion."

"You're telling me those encouraging advices my mom gave me are illusions?!"

May continued pounding on the bubble. She was getting desperate in opening it. She closed her eyes and began to think.

_"Don't worry. I'll get you out of this. Don't worry. I'll save you. I will!"_

Underneath her closed eyelids, her eyes flashed red, and her hands grew hot.

Then the bubble burst, causing the blue Pokemon to fall to the ground.

Zexion watched it happen in shock.

"What the-"

"Right here, asshole!"

Before Zexion could do anything, a fist covered in aura struck his face, launching him away. The attack was so powerful that his body broke through trees until it came to a stop.

Ash breathed heavily, watching the destruction he caused. After a while, though, he saw Zexion walking back to him.

His book was closed, and Ash could see the dark expression he was already giving off. A killing intent was present in his eyes.

"If you wanted me to end your illusion and put you to sleep, you should've just said so."

The book in his hand started to glow a dark color.

Ash knew this was trouble, and he put up his aura covered fists, ready to fight back.

Before any side could do anything, the Embodiment of North Winds stood in front of Ash.

The graceful Pokemon directed its stern, cold eyes toward Zexion. It was in a position to fight, and they could all feel the air around them getting colder. Its thick, purple mane that resembled aurora borealis and the two white, streamer-like tails waved in the air, even when there wasn't wind.

Zexion stared at it before the glowing stopped.

"I see," he said. "You have won this one."

"What?" asked Ash.

"I'm a man who knows when to give up in a fight," said Zexion. "Giving up when it's over is far less humiliating than going down in an idiotic way, especially over something like this. I can't die yet since a heart is so close within our reach. I shall retreat for now."

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Zexion pulled over his hood, and his book de-materialized. He then turned and opened a portal behind him.

"Get your ass back here!" yelled Ash. "We're not through yet!"

He was about to attack the man before he entered the portal, but Suicune turned to him, stopping his movements. It was looking at him sternly. Ash was still going to go past it, but those stern eyes reminded him of Dawn, so he didn't want to go there.

Zexion prepared to enter the portal, but he stopped and turned to Ash.

"This doesn't mean you've received complete victory, though. Suicune wasn't a Pokemon we needed, since its pure heart would make us have troubles in changing it. But we already had another Pokemon in mind. You should be more concerned about the Bird of Ice."

_"Bird of Ice?"_

Zexion then turned, entered the portal, and it closed up behind him.

They stayed in silence, and then Ash sighed and the Aura Blade in his hand de-materialized. He turned back to May, who was slowly walking toward him. Suicune was in front of him, calmly staying there. If he still had a heart, he would be awing, but sadly he didn't. When May got to him, she walked past him, and slowly walked on to Suicune.

"Hey."

Suicune turned to her. No emotion was on its face. It was calm and collected, staring right at May. May walked closer and extended out her hand.

"Are you alright?"

Before her hand could touch it, it took a few steps back, avoiding the contact. May didn't say anything, but then she continued on.

"There are people in a village near here that are in desperate need of your help. They're people you've helped a lot, and they're worried about you. Can you at least show them you're okay? Are you hurt in anyway? Do you need me to treat your-"

She extended her hand again, but this time Suicune growled. It then looked up at the sky, and then it started running swiftly into the forest.

Ash stared at the scene, and then he looked at May, who had a smile on her face.

"Is it mad at you?" he asked.

"No...it's not."

"That looked like it was angry."

"It's just mad it upset those people. Didn't even have time to tend to its wounds. It should be fine now."

Ash nodded, and then continued.

"Hey...why'd you bolt toward the forest out of nowhere like that? Did you feel that Dark Signer, too?"

May turned to him.

"I didn't even know there was one here. Suicune called for help, and I came."

* * *

"I'm sorry we were no help," apologized May as she bowed before the old lady in charge of the village. "We tried the best we could."

"No, no. No need to apologize. It's not your job, and it's not Suicune's job to purify this lake. It was a volunteering act. It had the right to stop at any time. Let's be glad that it's safe."

"But wasn't it upset that it didn't make it in time?" asked Ash. "Then it goes off and stood these people up?"

"Shut it."

"That's disappointing," said Dawn as she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "If I knew you two were gonna save Suicune, I would've gone with you."

"Maybe next time," said Brendan.

"And how long will that be?"

The old woman looked out to the lake and smiled. People gathered there already, still cheerful, even after their lake wasn't cleaned yet. They didn't blame Suicune or anybody else.

"We'll just clean the lake ourselves," she said. "We'll get off our lazy butts and do it. It will take us about a week, but we'll manage. We'll try cooperating with the village nearby to stop dumping their waste into the river. We'll manage."

"We'll help," volunteered May, already rolling her sleeves up. Brendan and Dawn looked ready to go, but Ash was displeased.

As May smiled, she felt the sensation of something warm. The north winds blew harder. The sensation made her look away from the old woman and toward the lake.

Every noise around her felt like it vanished at her shock.

On the middle of the lake, standing proudly as the winds blew the streamer-like tails up in the air, was Suicune.

It was looking directly at her. Their eyes were locked on one another. No one else had noticed that it was even there.

They stood like that until Suicune started moving.

Just one push from its hind legs, and it soared up into the air, and graciously landed on the surface of the water, causing ripples, and from those ripples, came clean, pure water.

Its body glowed as it continued to dance on that water. Slowly and surely, people started to notice it. Brendan and Dawn saw everyone staring at the lake, and couldn't even speak as they watched Suicune. Ash, once again unable to feel the excitement, just watched quietly. The old woman's eyes landed on Suicune, and her mouth slowly moved.

"Sui...cune...you've come back."

The dirty, green water, within minutes, turned into a pure, clean, magnificent body of water.

Suicune, after its last jump, stopped and stood on top of that water. It then turned to May again.

"It usually leaves right after. What is it waiting for?"

The old woman said this quietly as the winds started to die down.

But she received no response.

May walked right past her. Almost subconsciously, she seemed to have no control over her body as she walked toward the lake.

"May, stop it! Y-You're gonna-"

Ash tried yelling, but what came after made him stop his words.

Her foot touched the water, but she didn't fall in. She was standing on the water.

Silent, utter shock was present throughout everyone there. No one understood what was happening, and no one said anything. Ash noticed something about her.

Her eyes were red.

May kept walking until she got right in front of Suicune. They stared at each other, but then she started moving by extending her hand.

Suicune did not move, and her hand was placed on its snout. She rubbed its snout, and she bent down on one knee, getting into eye level with it. Both of her hands were on its head.

She smiled.

"Thank you."

Suicune nodded.

"I'm May. It's nice to meet you."

Suicune once again nodded.

"I appreciate that you're helping out these people, and possibly many others. It's great how you're using your power for something good. I'm very proud of you."

Suicune's head moved closer to May's, and their foreheads touched.

"I know she's proud of you, too."

They stayed like that for at least a minute until Suicune started moving backwards. Not taking its eyes off May. It then turned around, and it jumped into the air, disappearing within the forest that was nearby.

It was all over now, and May watched it go.

Then her eyes turned back into its sapphire color, and May fell right into the lake.

The splash pretty much woke everybody up.

"Dammit, May!" yelled Ash, and he jumped into the lake and swam to May. She was splashing around frantically at the sudden shock, and Ash got to her and held her arms back from behind, helping her float up. She breathed trying to get air.

"Are you done speaking with your friend?"

May turned to him with a wide smile.

"Friend? It's almost like we're family now."

The north winds died down, following that blue beauty to the next destination.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Even when they deal with one Dark Signer business, they are immediately pushed into another. Remembering Zexion's words about "The Bird of Ice", Ash and his friends are now faced with another enemy, and this one has a few schemes of her own. How will this Dark Signer be dealt with, and what do the Dark Signers plan to do with "The Bird of Ice"? **Next Time: The Savage Nymph.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Sorry for the delay in updating, but I'm once again facing problems with updating and already owe at least six chapters by next Monday. I want to make sure every Monday is promised a chapter, so I have to make them up (one of the cons of being a nice guy, but it's worth it :-)). Remember that whenever there is a late chapter, go see my profile under "Update Schedule". It will either explain why the chapter is late and/or when it will come out. That'll ease your worries about me abandoning the story. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 655)**


	7. The Savage Nymph

**This is the one hundred forty-first chapter in Pokemon Heroes. This will begin an arc that will have a gratifying end to it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

With the water purified and Suicune continuing on to purifying many others in Ransei, Ash and his friends settled down in the village, expecting to stay for one more day.

During this time, the village, using the pure water from the lake, had workers removing trash from the lake's waters. Even though Suicune cleaned it, the garbage that remained would once again pollute the water, so they had to clean it now. Their day of break pretty much had the kids helping with the cleaning.

The only person that wasn't helping though was Ash, and it wasn't because he was being lazy.

_"You should be more concerned about the Bird of Ice."_

Zexion's words replayed in his mind. Knowing that the Dark Signers were plotting stuff without him knowing made him angry sitting on top of that wooden building.

_"Bird of Ice? What the hell is that?" _he thought.

"Ash!"

He looked back and saw May at the bottom, holding onto a black bag with gloves on. She didn't look too happy while looking at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Thinking," said Ash. "You should be proud. I don't really do that a lot."

"I know you don't. Now get down here and help out. I think this would get done faster if you were with us."

"Not feeling it," said Ash as he looked away from her.

"You better get down here before I make you feel it."

Ash just wanted to turn off his ears and ignore every word she says after, but he didn't want her to be yelling at him right now. With the things going on in his mind, he really didn't want to be getting into arguments.

"Fine."

Ash stood and jumped from the building, landing in front of May.

"Where's Brendan?" he asked.

"By the lake. Why?"

"I need to ask him something," said Ash as he started walking. He noticed May staying where she was and turned back.

"I agreed to help out, so you better hurry before I change my mind."

He walked off again. May sighed and, while groaning, slowly, slowly dragged that heavy garbage bag across that floor.

**The Savage Nymph**

* * *

The blonde, female Dark Signer who went by the name Larxene was walking on the grasslands. No one was around, but her hood was over her head. She looked straight ahead, heading to her destination.

_"This should be pretty quick."_

She walked on until she stopped. The winds made the grass sway back and forth. She stood there, taking in the wind, and then her Knives materialized in her hands.

_"In-"_

She then rammed the the weapons on her right hand into the ground, releasing a large surge of electricity that burst out. The grass around her were burning up due to the heat from the electric bolts. Larxene was smirking under her hood.

_"-and out."_

After feeling a click, she removed her Knives from the ground and got up. Just a few seconds later, the ground underneath her started shaking. She moved back until a small section of the ground started to rise up.

An entrance came up. From that entrance, she could feel the icy wind hitting her face. Her Knives de-materialized, and she moved her neck around to relax it.

_"The faster I do this, the faster everything will fit into place."_

She then calmly walked into the entrance, finding stairs that went down. These stairs, though, were made of ice.

_"Just because he died doesn't mean everything is ruined. I'll just do this shit myself."_

She then walked in.

* * *

Ash placed at least three garbage bags into a disposal area in the middle of the city. The lake was almost garbage-free. The work of Brendan and he, plus the Pokemon that were with them, made the task easier for the people. Somewhere along the way though, he lost May. She wasn't doing much work, even though she was forcing him to do the stuff that he was doing now. Dawn and she were taking breaks with girls from the village most of the time.

_"Now who's lazy."_

Ash took off his hat and put his hand through his hair. After placing his hat back on, he heard a familiar voice coming from behind him. He turned and saw Brendan walking toward the disposal area with at least six garbage bags over his shoulder. His eyes were emerald green, so he was using the power of his Aggron and Shiftry to help.

"We should be making one more trip and we're done," said Brendan as he gave a large smile while placing the bags in the area. "Then I'm thinking of sleeping for the day. There's not much to do other than this before leaving tomorrow."

Brendan turned to walk away.

"Hey," Ash called out to him.

"What?"

"What's a Bird of Ice?"

Brendan stopped and turned back to Ash.

"Bird of Ice? Where'd you hear that from?"

"Just tell me."

Brendan placed his hand on his chin, searching through his thoughts.

"I could swear I heard of those words before."

"Is it a Pokemon?"

"I'm pretty sure," said Brendan. "What's wrong? May's been telling you bed-time stories lately."

"Not anymore."

"What?"

"Well, do you know what it is or not?"

"I can't remember," said Brendan as he turned to walk away. "I'll find out for you later. Just finish this thing and then we'll have all the time we want."

He walked off, and Ash stood where he was. The smell of the garbage was bothering him, but he didn't care. They'd all be taken toward a garbage dump nearby anyway.

He didn't have time to sit around and do nothing while The Dark Signers were planning to attack yet another innocent Pokemon. If he didn't even know what it was, how could be stop them?

_"I guess I'll wait then."_

He then headed for the lake once again.

* * *

Larxene made it to the bottom of the staircase. It was completely dark, yet she could feel the slippery ground underneath her feet. The atmosphere around her was cold. She just snapped her fingers, and little balls of electricity appeared around her. They flew up toward the sides of the walls, giving her a little bit more light.

_"Assholes really should be hiding their things better."_

She walked down the narrow, low roofed path that was illuminated for her. As she walked, more balls of electricity formed around her and stuck to the walls ahead of her while balls of electricity that were behind her disappeared.

Everything around her was made of ice. The ceiling, the walls, the floor. The electricity from her feet worked as spikes to keep her from slipping.

As she walked on, the air got colder, but it didn't affect her. Her only goal was to make it to the end of this tunnel.

But she started to notice that the further she walked, the wider the room got. She also felt a strange presence around her, but she wasn't scared. She didn't have the ability to be scared anymore, but that was an emotion she didn't want with a heart.

Finally, she saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The balls of electricity disappeared around her, and she walked on until she walked out.

What she saw impressed her.

She stood at the open exit from the tunnel, and there was no ground after. She was just on an icy ledge, and looking down made it seem like looking into a bottomless hole. Many other holes were on the circular side of the circular room, showing that there were many other entrances to get here.

In the middle of the large, seemingly bottomless room was an icy structure that was just floating in midair. It seemed to be built of two layers, with an empty middle, but Larxene already knew that what she needed was located in that middle.

"Jackpot."

She then felt that presence once again, and she jumped off the ledge as a powerful Ice Beam blew right out of the hold she came out of. While in midair, she only saw at least three Glalies coming out of it. She also saw many others coming from the holes on the walls, and an attack was forming in their mouths.

Larxene wasn't shocked or worried. She just smirked.

"Now this got interesting."

All of the Glalies shot out Ice Beams from their mouths, all heading for Larxene. Her Knives materialized in her hands, and she gave a horrible laugh as electricity struck back at the attacks that were coming for her.

She saw a Glalie coming down at her, but she stepped on it and jumped off. She then saw from the ceiling an Abomasnow coming down. She held up her arms up as Abomasnow crashed its feet against them, launching her toward the icy structure. With the icy structure's two layers, the bottom was larger than the top, so she landed on the surface on the bottom.

She was on one knee as she slowly rose up.

"Nice shot," she said as her Knives got covered in electricity. "Now that playtime's over, I might as well teach you Pokemon a thing or two about messing with me."

Two large balls of electricity appeared on opposite sides of the large room. Electricity shot out of them both, heading for each other, making the bolts collide, fusing together, and then making a surge of electricity connect them together.

While once again giving off her hag-like laugh, from the surge of electricity came others bursting out, hitting every single Pokemon there individually. It hit the Glalies, the Abomasnows coming down from the ceiling, and the Froslass and Beartic that were coming at her within the icy structure.

Pokemon screams were heard everywhere, and Larxene only smirked as Pokemon fell one by one to the seemingly bottomless hole.

After every single one of them were wiped out, the two large balls of electricity disappeared. Her Knives de-materialized.

She turned around, looking at the center of the icy structure.

There, on a small podium in the middle of the unconscious bodies of Frosslass and Beartic was a tiny, blue ball that was giving off light.

Not even caring, Larxene walked in a straight line to it, stepping over the bodies of the Pokemon. She got to the podium and immediately snatched the ball. She held it up.

"I would keep this for myself if only I didn't need it at the moment."

Then she heard a roar. Her Knives immediately materialized after she placed the ball in her pocket. She looked around, finding the source of the roar. She felt the ground shake, and then it broke apart as a large beast broke through it from the bottom.

This destruction sent Larxene upwards, giving her a chance to see her opponent.

It was like a dragon, but it was completely made out of snow. It must've came from the seemingly bottomless hole.

It roared as it charged at the woman. She only smirked.

"You better be better than all those other weaklings!"

Her body got covered in electricity, and she flew down at the dragon as it launched an attack that looked like a deadly wave of snow. She dodged it, and then struck the large beast on its head.

The difference in their sizes, with Larxene only being like a small animal to the beast, didn't matter at all. Her impact caused the dragon to get pushed back.

She immediately came back and struck the dragon rapidly on its body before it could even hit her. As she hit it, she was throwing one Knife toward the walls, where it just stuck to it as another Knife materialized in her hand.

The blows to the dragon kept going until she jumped up into the air. She saw the multiple knives stuck on the walls, about hundreds of them. The dragon saw her on the roof, let out a mighty roar, and flew up at her to attack her.

The knives all got covered in electricity.

"GO TO HELL!"

She crossed her arms as the Knives created electric currents that connected with each other. The constant connections from every Knife on every side of the walls made it so that the walls were completely covered by a wall of lightning. This wall then sent multiple lightning bolts at the dragon.

It roared in extreme pain as the whole room turned white at the flashing of the lighting bolts. The ice structure and the ice on the walls were breaking apart. Larxene was laughing maniacally as the dragon gave out its final roar before a large explosion covered the entire room.

Smoke was everywhere, covering the destruction that was given to it after a destructive fight. The room was collapsing into itself as rocks were flying down into the seemingly bottomless hole.

Larxene was in midair, with a single smirk on her face, looking up.

A large boulder was coming down at her, and there was no way to dodge it.

"Now that...was WILD!"

The boulder got to her, and she only placed her finger on it before an electric current destroyed the boulder completely. From the large rubble that were falling, she jumped on one and kept jumping until she went into the hole she came in from. She ran at an amazing speed until she jumped out of the entrance, right before a large burst of smoke was released, signifying that the ancient room was now completely destroyed, and it would never be visited again.

From her surroundings, she saw small Pokemon in the grass, looking horrified at what she did. She only smirked as electric bolts came out of her feet and struck them all before they could even go, instantly killing them.

When she was done, she removed the small ball from her pocket and saw its blue, illuminating qualities.

_"That's that."_

She then casually walked off after placing her hood over her head, stepping over the bodies of the dead, and ignoring the large clump of smoke rising into the air.

* * *

The kids finished with their work, and they were enjoying their time around a table outside, enjoying the food from the cookhouse within the village.

As usual, Ash and May were shoving a bunch of food into their mouths ignoring the bill while Dawn ate a salad quietly and embarrassed at the rude behaviors of her friends. Brendan wasn't there with them, and the Pokemon were eating inside the cookhouse, where there was a special section for Pokemon to eat alone.

Dawn then felt a hand on her shoulder as a seat was pulled out beside her.

"What did I miss?" asked Brendan.

"Food," she replied. "Where have you been?"

"I was in a long conversation with some trainers."

"And you battled them?"

"Dawn...pfft...yes. And I won all of them."

Brendan chuckled as he turned to Ash, who was then dumping ramen into his mouth.

"Hey, Ash, I found out some stuff about that Bird of Ice after talking to some trainers."

Ash immediately stopped, chewed, and swallowed a large lump of food.

"It turns out it's really Articuno."

"Articuno?" said Dawn. "I know that one! I find it the most beautiful of all the bird trio."

Ash was paying attention.

"Yeah, and it travels around Ransei a lot," continued Brendan. "You'd be lucky to see it flying in the air. Some adventurers follow it around to see where it goes. They've discovered that it has a nest on top of Snowtop Mountain."

"Snowtop Mountain?" said Ash. "Where's that?"

"It's at least a week's journey from here. It goes there on certain times of the year to rest up, and it turns out that it is around next week that it'll be resting there."

"Do a lot of people know this?" asked Dawn.

"Yeah, but you can't just go and see it though," said Brendan. "It makes sure it gets well hidden, and in a large, cold mountain like that, some people don't have the dedication to try."

"You said it's going there sometime next week, right?" asked Ash. "That means it's not there yet."

"Exactly. Why?"

Ash sat here, relieved that he was able to get some information. He sat motionless, thinking about his next move.

_"Carry on, young one, and keep getting stronger."_

The words that his deceased mentor wrote to him went through his head, and the next step came easy to him.

"We're heading over there," said Ash. "We should go as soon as possible."

The others stared at him, blinking their eyes.

"Why?" asked Brendan.

"When I fought that Dark Signer yesterday, he told me I'd first have to be more worried about the Bird of Ice. Since I know what it is and where it's gonna be, I've got to get there before them."

The others were quiet. They continued to stare at Ash while just blinking their eyes a few times.

"Alright," answered Brendan.

"You're quick to answer."

"I honestly have no problem with it," said Brendan as a smirk formed on his face. "As long as I get to kick some Dark Signer ass too, then sign me up!"

"I missed out on Suicune, so this could be a chance to another beautiful Pokemon," said Dawn.

May said stuff, but the food in her mouth muffled what she was saying.

Ash smirked.

"Then I guess that's settled. We're heading to Snowtop Mountain first thing tomorrow."

* * *

Larxene walked within the long hallway with large glass windows on the side and echoed the sound of her footsteps.

She walked alone, but then she saw another Dark Signer walking toward her from the other side of the hallway. An annoyed expression appeared on her face after she saw that man's long, spiky blue hair.

"That took you a while, Larxene."

"Leave me alone, Saix."

"I'm just congratulating you on your successful mission to haul in Pokemon to be turned. You don't even take thanks, anymore?"

They then walked past each other. They walked on until Saix stopped and turned back.

"It really did take you a while, huh?"

Larxene stopped, but did not turn back.

"I found that you dumped the Pokemon here and then went back out," continued Saix. "Weird that you then returned with nothing on you."

"You're spying on me, now?"

"I was just checking on you. You have been distant for a while, and you've grown more vicious than you already were after he disappeared."

"Don't make assumptions, dumbass," said Larxene, and she walked on while raising a hand. "I will be taking care of some business for a while. Don't think about handing me missions for now."

Saix watched her go, and then, even from his calm expression, Larxene could feel negative energy being released from him.

"We know what Marluxia was trying to do," said Saix as Larxene walked on. "We planned to take care of him when we got the chance, but fortunately that old man's pawn killed him first. We know of at least others who may have been acquainted with him."

"Yeah. So?"

"Don't tell me you were also in league with his plans."

Larxene immediately gave a witchy laugh.

"Don't kid with me! Why would I go in league with that homo!? I don't like taking orders from people, remember? Especially not from him!"

She continued laughing, and Saix stayed where he was as the laughter got quieter the farther she walked.

When she was far enough, an evil smirk covered her face.

_"Marluxia's plans were obviously gonna fail. Just a little editing, and I've already made it better! Of course I don't like taking orders. I will be the one dishing out orders to you motherfuckers soon enough!"_

* * *

The next day, Ash and his friends stood at the exit of the village. The day before, they had all bought equipment for their journey toward the cold mountain. They had replenished their supplies. They knew that their trip to the mountain was going to throw them off course by a week or two, but in order to protect a Pokemon's life, they had no problem with it.

"You're ready to go, Pikachu?" asked Ash.

"Pika!"

"I'm ready, too," said May.

"You sure you're gonna keep your skirt on while we're going up that mountain?" asked Brendan.

"Yes. You've got a problem with that?" asked Dawn.

"We can't waste much time here," said Ash. "Let's go!"

Already, he was running. Everyone else were running after him.

From the entrance of the village, the old lady that seemed to be the leader smiled.

They were ready to head up that mountain to foul yet another plan from the Dark Signer.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Heading towards Snowtop Mountain, Ash and his friends meet with the Savage Nymph herself. Determined to let her plans start up, she doesn't want anybody getting in the way, no matter who they were. What is Larxene really planning, and how will The Dark Signers act on it? **Next Time: Journey to Snowtop Mountain.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. This was a really late update, even though I said on my profile that these two chapters were supposed to be coming by Tuesday. I am very sorry about that, and the next two chapters was supposed to come yesterday but I screw that one up too. The next two chapters should be out by tomorrow (if I work hard) or Sunday. After, the two chapters after that should be put up by Monday or Tuesday, finally fixing up late updates. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 655****)**


	8. Journey to Snowtop Mountain

**This is the one hundred forty-second chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Thank god it's Thanksgiving break, or else I would've never been able to write these chapters. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

A full week had passed since Ash and his friends had left the small village and they were all still on their way to Snowtop Mountain.

As they got closer and closer to the mountain, the air got colder, so they decided to switch over to their winter clothing before going any further. Ash just wore a blue jacket with hood, Brendan wore a black one with a hood, and the two girls wore pink jackets, ear muffs, and gloves. Dawn was also wearing a white scarf.

In the distance, they saw the large land-form that was Snowtop Mountain. From where they stood, they could see the piles of snow that were piled on top of the mountain's top.

"So, what would happen if Articuno got there earlier and The Dark Signers already have it?" asked Dawn. "This is the week it's supposed to be over there. There's no certain day."

"We're just gonna have to be lucky, I guess," said Brendan. "If it's there now, we have to be the first to get to it. If it's not, we're just gonna have to either wait it out or realize it was already caught."

"We'd have to wait it out in the cold?" asked May. "For how long?"

"For as long as Ash thinks we should wait," said Brendan. "Also, Dark Signers just love destruction, so we should see a ton of destruction caused by them when we get there."

Ash walked ahead of them, out of the conversation. This whole time, he had been getting a strange feeling in his gut. It was very faint, but he could still feel it. His eyes were watchful, and he told Pikachu to keep a watchful eye out the whole time.

_"One's here," _thought Ash. "_I can feel it._"

They all stopped suddenly when they saw a large lightning bolt crash down onto earth, almost like it hit a certain spot. They all heard a loud yell. It sounded like man, but his high pitched scream made you think otherwise. When the lightning bolt disappeared, they could all just watch in wonder.

"What the hell was that?" asked Brendan. "There's not a cloud in the sky around here."

"Someone might be in trouble," said May. "We should go over there."

"No. We should just keep going. I'm sure whoever's there is fine."

Ash said this in an obvious annoyed tone. Usually he wold go and help out who ever was in danger, but he felt a feeling that if he walked over there, the feeling in his gut would become stronger.

**Journey to Snowtop Mountain**

* * *

They must've really been tying to piss her off now.

Lately, she had been under watch by The Dark Signers due to their growing suspicion of her. She was forced into going on missions so their suspicions would decrease. Instead though, it just made them even more suspicious. This tight security put some major interruptions in her plans, therefore making things go slower than she planned.

But this time, they made a huge mistake in choosing who'd be watching over her today.

Larxene had felt his presence ever since she left The Castle That Never Was. She could feel him creeping between bushes, tripping over pebbles, and barely hiding when there was nothing much to hide behind.

Knowing that he was watching her, she knew she'd easily get around the surveillance. She immediately decided to skip come steps and get to one of the major steps in her plan. She just ignored the man the whole time, amused at his failures.

She knew he wouldn't really go rat on her, because if he did, he would be dead before even receiving a damn heart.

But as she walked, she noticed that her ignoring him just made him think he was being an amazing spy, so he started to take advantage of this.

"Look at that dumbass."

She heard him whisper this, and she stopped moving.

"Bitch doesn't even know that I'm here. I could walk right in front of her and she still wouldn't know."

Her fists clenched.

"Dumb bitch. Heh, heh!"

Then, even when there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, a lightning bolt came down and struck the man behind the bush. His scream sounded like a high pitched girl, and people nearby would probably be able to hear it.

When the attack stopped, all that was left was a couple burned branches and a goofy looking Dark Signer.

Before he could do anything, the dirty-blond, odd mullet-styled haired man with several individual bangs that fell over his face found three Knives pointed at his neck. His gray eyes looked up at Larxene's gray eyes and her stern expression.

"Why the hell are you here, Demyx?"

Demyx could only look at her as sweat fell from his face, and his mouth was wide open. His eyes looked slowly at the Knives at his neck and gave a nervous smirk.

"Just sightseeing."

"There's nothing here to see. Don't tell me you were spying on me now, huuuuuuuuuuuh?!"

"No, no, not at all. I would never spy on a lady. That would be rude!"

Demyx just looked confidently at her to convince her some more, but instead, she just slammed her foot on his face and sent him to the ground. Her Knives de-materialized and she proceeded to walk off. Demyx held his bruised cheek and watched her go.

"It's just that they're worried about you, that's all," said Demyx. "They just told me to watch over you. Just to make sure you're okay. Y-You understand?"

One of the Knives landed near his chest on the ground. He screeched as he moved away from it. Larxene continued walking off.

"I would've believed you if you didn't say worried," said Larxene. "You should know better that we all have better things to do rather than give a crap about each other."

Larxene continued to walk on. She realized Demyx was slowly walking after her from a large distance. After a while, she turned back and glared.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Um...following orders."

"Go back to the castle."

"I'm not allowed to go back unless it's with you."

"And who told you that?"

"I'm not talking."

One of the Knives in her hand flew past his cheek, giving him a cut.

"Saix!" he screamed.

Larxene gave a small "tch", mad that her suspicions were right that The Dark Signers were keeping a close watch on her.

She turned and continued walking. Demyx was following.

"I don't give a crap," she said without looking back. "I'll lose you at some point anyway."

"N-No you won't! I'll be watching you the whole time, you damn witch!'

Another girlish scream escaped his mouth after a lightning bolt from the sky struck him, but this time it hurt three times as much.

* * *

Ash and his friends got closer and closer, and now they already felt that the ground was rising up. Colds winds were already picking up, and Dawn was the most regretful that she didn't wear anything else other than a skirt. Ash was too preoccupied looking in the area to care, and May didn't seem like she was affected at all.

"We're there yet?" asked Ash.

"We're at the base of the mountain," said Brendan. "We're already climbing it right now."

"How long will it take to get to the top?"

"Weeks."

"We don't have weeks!"

"Do we really have the time to be walking all the way to the top?" asked Dawn. "Was it ever said that Articuno had his nest all the way there?"

"No," said Brendan. "The mountain has a path for hikers and mountain climbers. It's been recorded though that there is nothing at the top but snow. That means Articuno's living within the mountain somewhere. We don't have to climb all the way over there."

"This mountain's too large to look at every place," said May. "That would be the reason why it'd take weeks now."

"Actually, there have been records that there are certain parts of the mountain that's completely made of unbreakable ice that only a Pokemon would make. I made sure to mark down the spots where they are back in the village before we left on a poster of this mountain. With that info, we could get this in at least two or three days tops."

"Thanks Arceus!" said Dawn.

Ash rammed his fist on his palm as he smirked.

"Then we'll get this done quicker then. Let's-"

"Where the hell are you?!"

They heard a man yell as that yell created echoes throughout that section of the mountain.

They stayed quiet for a while before they saw Demyx running in their direction.

Immediately after seeing his uniform, Ash and Brendan stood in front of the girls as Ash's Aura Blade materialized in his hand and Brendan's eyes turned emerald green.

Demyx didn't seem to notice them though.

"You can't ditch me like that, witch! I'll fucking report you!"

He kept running in their direction until he was right in front of them, but he still didn't realize that they were there because his back was turned to them.

"My head will be on a platter, dammit! Can you just give me a break?!"

Ash and Brendan stared at him in disbelief. They never even thought about a Dark Signer acting this strangely.

He turned to the kids finally and he froze. His eyes moved from one of them to the other. They all had no words to say to each other, or more like they just couldn't find the words.

"Wait...Ritchie?"

Ash's eyebrow rose when he heard the name, especially that Demyx was looking at him.

Before he could even ask, Demyx came skipping toward him with an unusual happy expression on his face.

"YOU CAME BACK, BRO! COME OVER HERE AND GIVE YOUR BROTHER A HUG! AFTER THAT, YOU'RE COMING-"

An aura covered fist collided with his face, launching him away from Ash toward a rock's face. He collided with it, fell, and then rubble from his collision fell on him, covering him with rocks.

A few minutes later he broke through, with his cheek now having two bruises.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! WE HAVE'NT SEEN EACH OTHER IN SO LONG AND THIS IS...wait a minute. You're not Ritchie. You're that damned Aura Guardian we all hate! WHAT ARE THE ODDS?!"

Ash was breathing heavily, and his friends were a few ways back after Demyx suddenly started skipping toward Ash. He looked toward Brendan in disbelief, and the white haired boy just shrugged. Brendan sweat-dropped as he watched Demyx try to release himself form the rubble.

"A-Are you a Dark Signer?" asked Brendan.

"Would you let me go if I said no?"

Ash could already feel that this man was certainly a Dark Signer, so him saying that he wasn't was an obvious lie.

"Listen kids," said Demyx as he broke free from the rubble. "I didn't come here for a fight. I'm with an acquaintance, and I seemed to have lost her. So...if you don't mind..."

"Acquaintance?" said Ash. "You're here for Articuno, aren't you?!"

"What the fuck is an Art and Cono?"

The boys now looked at the girls. They were dumbstruck. Ash and Brendan looked at each other, and now wondered whether this guy was a threat or not.

He was walking past them.

"See ya!" he said. "Let's hope our paths never cross again!"

When he past them, May moved closer to Ash's ear.

"Should we really let him go?" she asked.

Demyx had stopped.

"I don't know," said Ash. "Even if we did, he'd probably just die by falling off a cliff or something."

Demyx's Sitar then materialized, and he instantly played a loud, harsh noise that could be heard for miles. The kids covered their ears, but before they could turn to Demyx, a powerful water geyser emerged from the ground, launching them all into the air. Ash and Brendan were able to grab onto May and Dawn before the geyser launched them all up. They were able to land safely on the ground. Ash turned angrily at Demyx, who continued playing his Sitar like a rock star.

"What the hell was that for?! Did you just say you didn't want to fight?"

"About that," said Demyx as he rubbed his hand on the back of his head. "Um...those few seconds of me walking away made me realize something. What would happen if I actually killed you? Well for one, I'd be getting an epic promotion. With the type of respect I get back at the castle, a promotion would be nice. I might even be able to step on a certain bitch I don't like."

"You bastard!" yelled Brendan as he ran toward the man. Ash was right behind him.

"Let's get WILD!" yelled Demyx as he played another note from his Sitar. Now, holes immediately opened up around him, and water burst out from them, and they started swirling around the man in a whirlpool.

"COOL DOWN!"

He played another note, and the water shot out toward them. Brendan was hit directly, pushing him back. The water felt like bricks striking him all at once. Ash was able to get out of the way, and he charged at Demyx with his Aura Blade.

He swung it downwards, but Demyx took his Sitar and swung it upwards to collide with Ash's weapon. Ash was wide open, and Demyx smirked. He quickly brought down his Sitar and played a note so a geyser underneath the raven-haired boy launched him toward the sky. Demyx smirked and prepared to play another.

"I'll play a SHARP note this time! Get it? I'm gonna make this one sharp!"

Before he played it though, an Aura Sphere shot out from Dawn's Togekiss's mouth and headed for him. He jumped out of the way quickly before the attack collided with him.

"Munchlax, use Metronome!" ordered May.

Munchlax moved its fingers, and when it was done, a flamethrower shot out between its fingers. Demyx made a wall of water block the attack. He landed on the ground and smirked.

"Nice one. Throwing fire in a water battle. That was a really-"

An iron fist then rushed past his face after he moved his body backwards to dodge the hit from Brendan. With Brendan using the power of his Aggron and the speed of his Mightyena, he immediately threw another punch, which Demyx dodged by ducking. He was about to strike Brendan with his Sitar, but with that boy's amazing speed, he kneed Demyx to rise up, and then he delivered a hard punch that sent him back a long way.

As soon as he landed on the ground, he saw the shadow of Ash coming down at him. When he looked up, he saw the boy holding onto an Aura Sphere. He barely dodged it before the shockwave and the ground breaking made Demyx get launched into the air.

Before he could counterattack, Brendan, using the power of his Pelipper to soar into the sky, was right above him, and he delivered an iron hard kick to that man's face, sending him straight toward the ground.

He hit the ground with his feet hard, creating a crater.

"Togekiss, Aura Sphere!"

"Munchlax, Metronome again!'

Pikachu had also launched a thunder attack at Demyx.

Togekiss shot an Aura Sphere on one side, and Munchlax's Metronome created a Hyper Beam that went toward Demyx on the other. Pikachu's thunder came from above. He quickly played a note to make two large walls of a ceiling of water block the attacks.

He then saw Ash coming right at him with an aura covered fist through the gap between the water walls.

He couldn't even try closing in the walls to crush Ash before the boy got to him and landed a fist right on his face. He was launched back, and the water walls disappeared. He landed harshly on the ground before he stopped.

Ash breathed heavily. Brendan looked at Demyx to make sure the man was down.

Then, Demyx started rising again.

"They were right," said Demyx. "You kids are such a nuisance. No wonder why we're wasting our time and resources just to take you down."

His Sitar then transformed into a spikier version around the edges. It looked demonic now.

He then looked up at them, and his calm and goofy face was now replaced with a crazed one.

"This isn't about the promotion anymore!"

Then, water shot out from the ground. The pillars of water were moving so fast that they seemed white from a distance. Their ends were sharp. They moved around Demyx as tentacles as he stood and positioned himself.

Ash and his friends got closer, ready for whatever was next.

"Well then..."

He then played the note, and it released a metallic noise as he stuck out his tongue.

"LET'S PARTY!"

The pillars of sharp water them raced toward them.

* * *

_"At least I lost him."_

Larxene continued walking, still searching for something.

BOOM

A loud explosion was heard from a distance. She turned back and saw smoke rising up from wherever the explosion happened.

_"That's...Demyx."_

She then felt something else, and her expression went grim.

_"That kid, too. Dammit. Of all the places he would be today."_

She then looked to the ground, and a smirk formed on her face.

_"I hope that lunatic saved some for me."_

* * *

Demyx was laughing as the sharp pillars of moving water circled around him. He was on higher elevation than the kids, who were all sprawled out on the ground below him. Togekiss, Munchlax, and Pikachu were already knocked out. Grovyle and Shiftry, who were released into battle, were knocked out as well.

Ash tried forcing himself to get up.

"Sit!" yelled Demyx as he played a note and a pillar of hard water crashed down on Ash. The boy yelled in pain as he was pushed down and the ground cracked underneath him.

Brendan took this time to stand and race toward Demyx. Demyx saw him and played another note, causing the pillar that hit Ash to turn and strike the boy, knocking him back down on the ground.

May and Dawn were only watching in horror as the boys were beaten. They couldn't move that much.

"What's wrong?" Demyx asked. "What happened to all that bravery and shit? Weren't you gonna kill me?"

He received no answer. He smirked.

"Well...I guess it's time to end the show."

The sharp pillars of water then aimed toward them. Demyx rose his hand, about to vibrate the strings.

"GOODNIGHT BITCHES!"

Before his hand moved, he was kicked off the higher elevated rock by Larxene. He fell to the ground and landed face-first. The pillars of water disappeared, and the man's weapon returned to normal. He stood while holding his face. He looked back at her.

"Larxene..."

"I leave you for a while and then you decide to go and have fun without me. Now that calls for some punishment."

"BUT YOU WERE THE ONE THAT DITCHED ME!"

Larxene's gaze turned to Ash, who was getting up from the ground. He was looking sternly at her.

"A-Are you here for Articuno?" he asked.

Larxene's expression turned grim once again.

So they were here to foul her plans.

"You best be minding you own business and getting the fuck off this mountain, kid."

Ash was already jumping toward her with aura blazing around his clenched fist.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"

Larxene extended her hand and grabbed onto Ash's face. Then volts of electricity coursed through his body as he shook with every shock. He was then thrown toward the ground.

"Ash!" yelled May, and she ran toward his shaking body to check on him.

Larxene sighed and four Knives materialized in her hand. She then proceeded to throw them each to the north, south, east, and west of the kids.

"You know, when an adult is talking to you-

She snapped her fingers, and the Knives released volts of electricity that connected and immediately created a wall made of electricity around the kids that rose up. They looked in horror, and outside Demyx looked in amazement.

"-it's best you listen to them."

Then, within the walls, bolts of electricity shot out from the,, and they each attacked the kids, shocking them endlessly one after another.

This went on for a whole minute, before an explosion was erupted within the walls. When the walls disappeared, smoke was immediately sent into the air. When it all dispersed, all that was left were unconscious kids. Their clothes were burnt, and who knew if they were alive or not.

After watching this, Larxene turned.

"Let's go, Demyx."

"Wait...we're not even gonna check if they are alive or not? I say we make sure they're dead before heading off."

"I said let's go!"

She turned back to him with an angry expression that made Demyx actually feel fear for once in his life.

"Aye," he said nervously.

She then walked off. Demyx looked back at the kids, and then he ran off.

* * *

Demyx walked quietly behind Larxene. He tried not making a noise as he stayed behind her. She didn't seem happy at all. She was even more fiercer than she already was.

He coughed.

"Um...so...how badass was I today? I bet you thought it was cool. I was able to make them easier for you. That's just because I'm a nice guy. No need to thank me."

Larxene didn't respond to him. She kept walking.

"When are you going back to the castle?" she asked him out of nowhere, making Demyx stand with his back straight by reflex.

"Um...I told you before. I can't return unless you're with me. I could just..."

She took him by the collar and brought him closer to her face. Her fierce eyes stabbed into his.

"Then from now on while we're here, YOU DO WHAT I SAY! No questions asked. When I tell you to do something, go FUCKING do it! And don't even think about reporting this to the others. Do you UNDERSTAND?"

"A-Aye," said Demyx. He was lucky to say these words when his body was shaking uncontrollably.

She then tossed him to the ground and walked ahead.

Now that those kids were here to mess her up, she had to do this quickly.

She was going to succeed, no matter what.

* * *

Night came, and those kids were still sprawled on the floor. No one moved, and no one said anything. It just stayed quiet.

Then a moan was heard, and May was the one using her hurt arms to push herself up.

She crawled toward Ash's body.

Her movements caused Brendan and Dawn to stir.

May got to Ash and checked his head, where blood was falling from his face. She shook him, and his eyes moved before he opened his eyelids.

Brendan got to Dawn, and helped her sit up.

May was able to place Ash's arm around her shoulder, and then she used her legs to try getting them up.

Brendan and Dawn were finally up as they held each other's hand. Brendan checked for any injuries on her, and then he limped toward the Pokemon to check if they were okay. Luckily they were out of the lightning wall, so they weren't damaged too much.

May finally got Ash up, who was breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Her legs gave out, and she started falling, but Ash used his hand to grab onto her tighter, preventing that.

"Yeah," he said heavily like he forced the words out.

"What are we gonna do now?" May asked. She looked at Ash, and already he had his answer.

"We're gonna kick some ass, that's what."

No one was objecting. Everyone was ready to go for another around with The Dark Signers.

This battle wasn't over unless they say it was.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Continuing to fight against The Dark Signers, Ash and his friends head toward Articuno's location. With its location found out, the quest breaks out into a whole battle that'll decide the Pokemon's fate. Will Ash and his friends be able to fight against The Savage Nymph and make it out alive, and what will Articuno do against its new foes? **Next Time: Beauty of Ice.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. I'm getting these chapters done one by one, and I feel relieved that I'm fixing everything up so easily. This arc will have a surprising end to it, and I'm glad that it'll end this way. I always found Larxene and Demyx to be a great and comedic team, and a lot of their teamwork will be featured next chapter. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 832)**


	9. Beauty of Ice

**This is the one hundred forty-third chapter in Pokemon Heroes. We have now reached the ending of this arc. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

It gave a loud screech, shaking the clouds that it was flying through.

The air was moistening around it, causing the cold to send snow down to earth with every flap of its icy wings.

Its blue, streamer-like tail that was longer than its body moved in many directions as the winds moved it to and fro.

It gave out another screech, causing Pokemon that were flying in its direction to move out of the way before it collided with them.

This beautiful creature was Articuno.

It was a large avian Pokemon with predominantly blue plumage. Its head crest consisted of three, darker blue rhombus-shaped feathers on its forehead. It had circular red eyes. It had a short gray beak, and long thin legs that were gray.

It was heading in one direction.

It was heading toward a mountain that it used to rest in during certain times of the year. This helped it replenish its mobility, allowing it to go out and explore the world some more.

What it didn't know though was that there were battles happening on that mountain that he rested in. It would be heading toward a battle that was about it, and it still wouldn't know.

The snow continued to fall, and it finally saw the mountain in the distance.

It gave one last screech and sped up.

**Beauty of Ice**

* * *

Ash and his friends, after sustaining a lot of damage after their fight with Demyx and then getting KO'D by Larxene, still continued on, no matter how much their bodies ached with every movement.

The night had passed, and the kids found a cave to rest in. Even though they rested, they weren't complete healed.

When they woke up first thing in the morning, they immediately went out to continue searching. Their searching had led them to travel higher on the mountain. They were on snow, and snow slowly fell on them.

"Are you sure we'll be able to find it in time?" asked Dawn worriedly. "They might actually get to Articuno before we do. We have no clue where it is."

"We'll find it first," said Ash as he looked straight ahead. "I know we will."

"Where's the closest spot to where it could be resting?" asked May as she turned to Brendan.

"A spot not too far from here," answered Brendan "We should check that one out first."

They then heard a screech.

They stopped all together, staying close just in case it was an enemy. They heard the screech again, and then they started feeling more snow get placed on them.

May looked up at the sky, and then a shadow of a large flying-type Pokemon flew over their heads within the clouds that were building up.

"That's...Articuno?" asked Dawn.

"It must be!" exclaimed Brendan. "It's flying way too close to the ground. That means it must be heading toward a spot near here."

"Is that the spot you were talking about?" asked May.

"Hell yeah," said Brendan. "We're lucky it's the first one, or else we'd be up this mountain for days."

"We've got a lead," said Ash. "If we saw it, that bitch saw it too. We better get the hell over there before them. You're ready, Pikachu?"

"Pikapi!"

With their determination renewed, they set off toward Articuno's icy home.

* * *

"W-Was that just Articuno?" asked Demyx as he looked around in a frenzy after hearing such a loud screech. He looked over at Larxene and could tell how surprised she was.

That surprise was immediately replaced with a smirk.

"You heard it!" she said as she started running at an extreme speed. "It's close by! It's nest must be somewhere around here!"

"W-Wait for me!" called out Demyx as he tried to give chase.

Within a few minutes, Larxene stopped after feeling the ground shake. She could tell that it was slippery. She looked around, and then stomped on the ground so hard that it could crush a cinder-block.

The ice beneath her feet did not break, nor did it have a small crack.

_"Unbreakable ice..."_ she thought. _"That could only mean_..."

Where she was, the snow had gotten much more intense, so it was hard to see through the blizzard.

But through the blizzard, as she squinted just a little bit to see, she saw a giant structure in the distance.

That was Articuno's nest.

_"Good. Now..."_

"I thought I told you to wait for me!"

She turned back and saw Demyx running toward her. As soon as he got on the ice, he tripped and started swirling away. Larxene watched him go until he suddenly stopped.

"What the hell is this?" she heard him say.

Then she realized a trap was set up.

"Don't fucking tou-"

Large, icy hands broke through the ground. The sudden movement made Demyx screech and crawl behind Larxene.

Larxene watched as five more large hands broke though the snow on the ground, and out came large golems as they forced themselves out of the ground.

Larxene noticed though that their bodies were not made out of rocks. Instead, these things were made out of ice.

Larxene sighed.

"You know, you should really LISTEN more!"

Her Knives materialized in her hands. The golems got free from the ground, and they roared as they pounded their chests, eager for a fight. Larxene could already deduce that Articuno set these traps up for when someone actually gets here and either tries disturbing its rest or they were trying to search around its nest.

The golems now noticed them, and they started coming. They were at least three times larger than Larxene's height, but she had no problems with it.

A smirk was only present on her face.

She looked down at Demyx, who was just cowering by her feet.

"C'mon!" she yelled. "Don't be a wuss! Fight these things!"

"You know, my back kind of hurts after getting into that fight with the Aura Guardian. I think I might just sit this one out. You can fight for me if you want."

_"Maybe I should first deal with you!"_

Before she could say anything, she suddenly took Demyx by the hood and jumped out of the way as an Aura Sphere struck the spot she was on. She landed on the ground as Demyx's face got buried within the snow.

She looked back and already guessed who it was.

"Get back over here and fight me!" yelled Ash as another Aura Sphere was already in his two hands. His friends were close behind him.

_"So they were alive," _thought Larxene. She looked toward the golems, and then smirked.

"Thanks for covering for me," said Larxene as she did a salute. "Have fun!"

She then took Demyx by the leg and started running away, removing Demyx's head from the snow while dragging him along.

"Get over here!" yelled Ash as he prepared to throw an Aura Sphere, but Brendan successfully pushed him out of the way before a golem's fist crashed down on the spot where he was.

"What are these?" asked Dawn as she watched the other four ice golems turn their attention to the kids.

"They must be a trap that was activated before we got here," said Brendan. "Those bastards must've left us to fight them."

"I don't have time for that," said Ash as he tired getting up. "I-"

He quickly rolled to the side before a golem's foot crashed down on him. He shot out an Aura Breath at it, pushing it back. While it was distracted, he jumped and kicked it with an aura covered foot.

"These things are fucking annoying!" said Ash as the golem went down, and he saw two more heading to him. The one he knocked down was getting back up.

_"We'll be wasting out time, but in order to get through, we have to fight!" _thought Brendan.

A golem that was heading for him and the girls threw its fists down at him. His eyes turned emerald green, and using Mightyena's speed, moved out of the way, using Shiftry's power, grabbed onto its arm and held it up, spun around and then tossed it.

"You two take care of that last one," said Brendan as he used Pelipper's power to jump into the air, and using Aggron's power he crashed his fist against the golem's chest to break it apart.

Instead, an intense pain coursed throughout his entire body, and he fell back while holding his hand.

_"Are these things indestructible?" _he thought.

Dawn took a glance at Brendan, and then looked toward Ash to check if he was okay.

Ash was sending out whips of aura that struck the three golems that were around him, pushing them back and knocking them to the ground.

Dawn and May sweat dropped.

"He's fine," said May. They felt the ground shake, and they saw the golem heading toward them. They both took out their Pokeballs. May threw out Combusken while Dawn released Cyndaquil.

"Combusken, Flamethrower!"

Combusken shot out the hot flames from its mouth, and it engulfed the golem. They thought it was going to melt, but instead, it just brushed the attack off and continued running to them.

"What?" said Dawn. "Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!"

"Do another one, Combusken!"

The two fire-type starters each shot out Flamethrowers. The attacks fused together and struck the golem head on, but once again, it had no effect at all.

"Isn't ice supposed to melt after given heat, or did I miss something!?" yelled Dawn.

The golem then jumped into the air, cupped its hands together while putting it over its head and came down on the girls. Combusken was able to move them both away from a direct hit, and Cyndaquil followed. But the golem came in too fast, and it crashed into the ground near them, sending snow over them that then crashed onto their bodies.

"Dawn! May!" yelled Brendan.

In his distraction, the ice golem he was fighting took him in its hands and then tossed the boy away. He went for Ash's direction, and they collided with each other and then they fell to the ground with Brendan with his back on top of Ash.

"Watch where you're going!" yelled Ash as he pulled his face out of the snow while he lay on the bottom.

"Tell that golem to throw me to something more worthy of me crashing into next time, then!"

Their bickering gave a golem a chance to stand over them, raise its foot, and send it down on them.

Brendan luckily, and after quickly making his arms as strong as an Aggron's body, crossed them as he took the stomp, pushing more to the ground as Ash was buried deeper into the snow.

"Goddammit, Brendan!" Ash yelled, and then he launched an Aura Breath on the ground that then launched up into the air, pushing the golem to the ground.

They were in midair, and then Ash took Brendan's foot, spun him around, and then launched him down toward another golem.

Brendan's iron hard fist crashed on its head, sending them both to the ground.

Once again, even though the ice was hit hard, not even a crack was present.

"What the hell are these things made of?" asked Brendan as he moved back. Ash got to the ground and they stood with their backs against each other.

May and Dawn popped out of the snow with their Pokemon, and they watched the golem run toward them.

"They won't even melt by fire," said Dawn. "They must be made of a special ice."

Brendan clenched his teeth, and then he noticed Ash breathing heavily behind him.

_"That fight we had yesterday still has a toll on our bodies," _he thought. _"If we don't beat these things fast enough, we'll die just for being exhausted."_

* * *

Articuno screeched once again, doing it as a message to the Pokemon in the area that it had returned. It noticed the golems it created moving about in the distance. It chose to investigate, but first it looked down at the large icy structure that had an opening that led to its chambers.

Before descending anymore though, it noticed something on top of it, or more precisely it was a someone.

"Welcome back," said Larxene as she smirked. "We've been expecting you."

Immediately and without warning, one of Larxene's Knives were thrown at it. It moved out of the way quick enough to dodge the attack. That sudden act already showed Articuno that this person wasn't good.

It flapped its wings hard, sending a large gust of wind to strike Larxene and make her fall toward the ground. While she was falling, her smirk got even more sinister.

"You've made this way easier for me, you know," said Larxene as she rammed one of her Knives on the icy structure, causing her to stop falling. "Now I can really let loose."

Her body got covered in electricity, and she charged at Articuno. The bird quickly moved out of the way before it got hit. It then sent an Ice Beam at her. She created a small wave of electricity that acted as a shield in front of her to block the attack, but the force still pushed her back.

"Don't just stand there!" yelled Larxene. "Help out or else I'll remove your guts from your body!"

"But I like my guts though," said Demyx as he hid under the snow. He then forced himself out, and his Sitar materialized in his hand.

"Of all the missions Roman had to send me on."

He then played a note, and pillars of water with sharp ends burst out from the ground and headed for Articuno. Articuno flapped its wings, and the water that was heading for it froze in mid-air. Demyx watched amazed, and Larxene saw this as an opportunity.

"Fighting back doesn't do shit for you!"

It turned, and Larxene had already crashed her body against its body. They headed for the ground. With one great flap of its wings, it blew Larxene away and straightened itself before it collided with the ground.

"We should work together more often, Larxene. It's more fun when we're kicking ass together!"

He played a note, and water surrounded Articuno's entire body. It realized that the water was forming around it, and then it saw that it was now trapped within a ball made of water.

It screeched, knowing that this move was already futile.

It just gave a simple flap of its wings, and the water around it instantly froze. It used its wings to break it apart.

When it got through though, it saw as many as hundreds of Larxene's Knives surrounding it. Larxene was on the ground, and after giving off a snicker, she snapped her fingers, and just like always, she activated her KO move by creating electric currents between the Knives, therefore creating a whole wall of electricity around it.

"This should put you to sleep now!"

The wall of electricity then shot out electric bolts at Articuno.

This whole time though, Articuno didn't even express a single ounce of worry. It simply created a ball of ice around its body, and this helped it block out the attacks of the electric bolts.

After a while of unsuccessfully hitting it, the wall of electricity diminished. Articuno broke free from the ball of ice, and then looked down at Larxene angrily. It looked toward Demyx, too, making the Dark Signer wary.

"I think we pissed it off," said Demyx.

Articuno let out an ear piecing screech. Its eyes turned completely blue, and a blue outline started to form around its body. The cold air got even colder, and the already harsh snow just got harsher.

"What the hell..." said Demyx in disbelief at the phenomenon.

Larxene smirked.

"It's acknowledging us," she said. "It's going full force now. It's activating Sheer Cold, the most powerful Ice-Type move. That move would surely kill us in an instant."

Demyx's mouth hanged off of his face. Not only was he surprised that Articuno was done playing games, but he was even more surprised how Larxene could just smirk in the face of certain death.

"Then let's get the fuck away from here!" yelled Demyx. "We're gonna die for Arceus's sake!"

"Don't be such a wuss."

"A wuss? That'll kill us for sure, and you think now is a perfect time to start calling me names?! Mission failed! Boo-hoo! Let's all cry about it later! Let's just go back and tell Saix we failed. I always tell Said I fail, and I'm still alive now! There's no shame!"

"This isn't a mission that I was given to by Saix though," said Larxene as she reached into her pocket. "I'm doing this...on my own accord!"

Out of her pocket came the small blue ball that illuminated a blue light.

Larxene stole this thing for this special occasion.

When it was near Articuno, it caused the Pokemon's power to decrease at an alarming rate.

Slowly, the winds started to die down, and Articuno's eyes returned to normal. When everything was calm, it looked down in horror at the item in Larxene's hand.

"Now then...everything's fair, let's wrap this up!"

Larxene then covered herself in lightning and charged at Articuno, With four of the Knives that she materialized into her hands, she dug them into the Pokemon's gut. Blood flew out of the wound, and Articuno's expression was filled with pain and shock,

Larxene was just laughing her ass off.

* * *

Ash threw an aura covered fist at the ice golem in front of him. It collided with its face. It was pushed to the ground, and it struggled to get back up.

"Pikachu!"

A powerful Thunder attack struck it. It stopped moving, but then it started struggling once again to get up.

Brendan, fighting his ice golem, just got out of the way from an attack. He took its arm and prepared to start throwing it.

"Ash!"

"Alright!"

Ash took his ice golem by its foot, and the boys tossed the golems at each other. They collided, fell down, and just proceeded to get up once again.

That was now another plan that had failed.

"Combusken, use Sky Uppercut!"

"Buneary, use Low Kick!"

Combusken and Buneary ran toward the ice golem, and Combusken uppercutted it with a powerful attack using its claws while Buneary collided its feet on the golem's chest area. The attack did push it back a little, but once it had recovered from the attacks, it took both Pokemon in its hands and rammed them against each other.

The Pokemon screamed in pain and were tossed to the ground. The girls ran to their Pokemon to check if they were okay. They could already barely stand.

"I think one of us has to get through and help out Articuno over there," said Dawn. "We don't have much time to waste here!"

"No!" yelled Brendan. "If one of us leaves, it'll just bring more stress to the others."

"I know, but-"

They then heard the loud, painful screech of Articuno in the distance. They heard electricity cracking, and they heard powerful hits being delivered one by one at the beautiful bird.

They had heard Articuno arriving a while ago. The icy structure where the battle was at was far from them, so they really couldn't see what was going on completely.

All they did know though was that Articuno was fighting a losing battle.

Hearing the screams and feeling the pain the Pokemon was feeling right now made Ash's teeth grind.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!"

Aura violently surrounded him as his anger rose. He felt powerless hearing the Pokemon get beaten up. Three of the ice golems were coming at him.

"Come and get me assholes! Once I finish with you, I'll get to kick that bitch's ass to next week!"

They ran at him, and the closest to him extended its hand to grab the boy.

But then, its fingers broke off.

The kids were wide-eyed at what they saw.

The golems they were trying so hard to destroy suddenly started breaking apart.

"Did I do that?" asked Ash.

"No," said Brendan. "I don't think so."

They didn't understand, but during Larxene's fight with Articuno, when she took out the small blue ball, it had the ability to lessen its power.

That meant that because its power had lessened, all of its power coursing through anything would diminish. And since it was the one who gave power to the ice golems, the ice golems were losing their power as well, losing their ability to have unbreakable ice slowly. They started to become so breakable that just the shockwaves of Ash's aura took off its fingers.

Ash smirked.

"Doesn't matter..."

Aura covered his fists and he charged at the ice golem.

"LET'S KEEP ON BRINGING ON THE HURT!"

His fist collided with the ice golem, breaking its face into many pieces of ice.

"Hell yeah!" exclaimed Brendan, and he saw another ice golem and jumped up high, and then kicked it with his powered up knee using Aggron's power to break its face away.

"Pikapi!"

Pikachu ran toward another and used Volt Tackle, breaking through the golem's chest, and then it broke apart into pieces right after that.

"Combusken, use Flamethrower!"

Combusken got up and shot out its most powerful move. The attack engulfed the golem, and what didn't happen before happened now. Its body melted instantly into drops of water, and when the attack ended, there was nothing left.

All of the ice golems were beaten now.

The kids were exhausted, breathing heavily after the tough fight.

May and Dawn congratulated their Pokemon before returning them. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, and they gave each other a high five.

Ash's gaze then turned to Articuno's location.

They still had one last thing to do.

"Let's go!" he said, and they all started running.

* * *

Larxene's fist collided with Articuno's face, ramming it onto the ground.

Larxene laughed excessively. Articuno was breathing heavily. Its body was bruised up, especially on its face. Blood fell from its beak, and stab wounds were easily seen on its beautiful body.

Blood was turning that snow's color to red.

Demyx watched in the background, not even daring to ask a question. But this had been going on for a long time, so he decided to say something.

"Um...do you plan to kill it?"

"Of course not, dumbass!"

"Then...shouldn't you be capturing it now? If you keep doing that, you'll definitely kill it. You're just wasting time."

A snicker escaped her mouth.

"Because why not," she said. "Pain. Just pain! Seeing this makes my blood boil! It makes me extremely anxious to see blood all over!"

A foot crashed against Articuno's face.

"Especially against something as beautiful as this! When I'm done, I'll be making this piece of shit the ugliest thing in the world! Do you hear me?"

"A-Aye," said Demyx from far away, running away during Larxene's rage.

Larxene kicked Articuno some more, and then she started laughing again. More blood was on the snow, and Articuno was breathing much more heavily.

Larxene walked away, and then turned around after she was far enough. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small, black ball, and clicked a button that enlarged it.

This was a Shadow Pokeball.

Anything that was captured within this Pokeball would have their hearts seeped with darkness, turning them into a Shadow Pokemon.

Only those with completely pure hearts could escape the Pokeball, but with Articuno's state now, it had to be more worried about staying alive rather than being calm and focused.

"Play time is over," said Larxene. "Now I get the prize."

She tossed the Pokeball at it. It got closer, and closer, and closer, and Articuno was just staring at it coming to him. Now was the last time it would see the light of day as a Pokemon, because right after this, its vision would be clouded with darkness.

But then, an aura covered fist destroyed the Pokeball before it touched its face.

It looked at the back of its savior, who was looking toward Larxene.

"You fucking brat!"

"I came here to protect Articuno, and I won't allow you to hurt it!"

Ash's aura blazed around him. Demyx watched in awe, and then he noticed Brendan, Dawn, and May running toward them from behind. Larxene's fists were clenching while shaking.

"I won't let them get any closer," said Ash, directing his voice to Articuno. "You go hide somewhere and try staying alive. When I'm done with this asshole, we'll try healing you up, alright?"

Articuno could feel at ease for some reason at Ash's presence.

It nodded, and then painfully flapped its wings and flew into the icy structure, where a tunnel led to its chambers.

Larxene watched it go with grim eyes.

"I was gonna let you go...but now, I'm gonna butcher you to pieces!"

"Bring it!"

The Dark Signers and the kids were now in one spot.

Their battle has now reached its climax.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** With the battle to protect Articuno had its highest yet, The Dark Signers are now going all out against Ash and his friends. Being exhausted and weak, they may not have a chance against a Dark Signer who only sees pain as the greatest feeling in the world. But that girl's cry for help may change everything. How will this battle turn out, and who will be the one to protect them all? **Next Time: Become the Hero.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Everything is set into place for a final battle, and the next two chapters will be the end of this arc. I've done this whole arc for a reason, because at the end of it, it'll have a gratifying ending, which is actually something I've wanted to do since the middle of last season. Now that I've fixed the update schedule, next two chapters should be out by Monday or Tuesday, just like always. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 832)**


	10. Become the Hero

**This is the one hundred forty-fourth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. This chapter will be a turning point in one character's life, so be prepared. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

The snow was still coming down on their bodies.

Ash stood in front of the entrance to the cave Articuno was resting in, while Brendan, May, and Dawn were behind the Dark Signers.

Demyx faced the kids while Larxene faced the Aura Guardian.

Her eyes could only show murderous intent, her face could show anger, and her mind must've been filled with many, many sinister things.

"You dared to get in my way," she said as her Knives got covered in electricity. "Now...I'll just rip your organs out one by one. Each and every one of yours!"

Ash's fists were engulfed in aura, and he was already in position to fight.

"You can try, bitch!"

Demyx, looking at Brendan's pupils changing from brown to emerald-green, tilted his head to get into hearing distance of Larxene.

"I think we should just go," said Demyx. "It's already ruined. Articuno might find a way to escape, and you'd have to go finding it all over again. Let's retreat for now so there are so casualties between us."

Larxene tilted her head.

"Casualties?" she asked, and then electricity started crackling around her as a crazed, sinister smirked form on her face.

"There will be casualties! This winter wonderland will be stained with warm, red, flowing blood that's coming from the slits on their necks! There will be certain casualties here, but I'll make sure, kid, that I won't be one of them!"

With a yell that sounded like a roar, Ash came at her with his aura covered fist, hitting her on the cheek, sending her a few feet away on the snow.

Their eyes met, and they found their goal.

They were going to kill the other.

The battle had begun.

**Become the Hero**

* * *

Larxene's skidding on the snow stopped. She immediately prepared the Knives in her hands, ready to throw them at the boy, but suddenly, he had already appeared in front of her, with his leg cocked backed. His aura covered leg then launched forward and kicked Larxene on her face, launching her away once again.

_"Dammit!"_

This power Ash had now was amazing, but she didn't have time to marvel upon it. She landed on the ground on her feet, and then swiftly, while spinning her body around, threw tons of electric-covered Knives at Ash.

The boy dodged every one.

Larxene's eyes widened as she watched him come closer with his fists cocked back, ready to propel the aura covered attack on her face once again.

_"Dammit!"_

She crossed her arms and blocked the attack, but the force of it made her fall back. In the process of falling, Ash's other fist was already aimed at her face.

It collided with her, sending her further into the snow covered ground, but the force of it must've already caused cracks to form on the ground beneath the snow.

Demyx only watched in amazement. The power Ash was using now wasn't as powerful as when he fought him. It made the man think if he should start running and abandoning Larxene to fight on her own.

He was about to ask if she was still alive, but then he noticed the smirk on her face.

_"She has this under control?"_

"Dawn, May, stay back!"

Demyx heard Brendan say this while he was thinking. He turned to the kids and saw Brendan coming at him. His iron hard fist collided with the Demyx's Sitar after bringing it in front of his face. Demyx was pushed back. He quickly played a note to send a geyser at Brendan, but the white haired boy had already dodged it.

"That's not working on me again!" Brendan yelled.

With an amazing speed, Brendan came and delivered another iron hard punch at his gut. Demyx was sent away, trying his best to regain his composure after receiving that forceful blow.

_"Dammit, Larxene!" _he thought as he saw Brendan once again coming at him. _"You just HAD to involve me in this shit, didn't ya?!"_

He got his Sitar and it turned into its powerful form, having much more spikes and looking way more demonic. He played a note, causing water to rise from the ground. The speed of the water moving within that geyser was so fast that it had the ability of cutting through a tree, and maybe a human body. Demyx's power also allowed him to turn that liquid into a solid as soon as it hit someone.

The water was sent at Brendan. The boy prepared to get out of the way, but then his foot fell into a deeper part of the snow, trapping his leg.

The water got closer and closer as he tried removing his leg, but it was no use, so he crossed his arms, prepared to take the blow.

But then, a whirlpool was sent at the attack, causing the opposite directions the water was going in both attacks to cancel each other out.

Piplup landed in front of him, and Dawn came from behind and grabbed his shoulders to help bring him back up. When he got free, he gave a sigh of relief and turned to Dawn while giving a smile.

"Thanks."

"No problem," said Dawn.

Demyx was by himself, shaking his ass to the music he was playing on his Sitar. As he played, more and more pillars of water were rising up from the ground.

"YOU READY TO ROCK?!"

"Hell yeah we are," said Brendan, and he released Mightyena from its Pokeball to let it stand by his side as Piplup stood by Dawn's.

The pillars of water were then sent toward them.

* * *

Ash stood over Larxene's unmoving body. He had noticed the smirk on her face. He looked down on her, kicking her head a few times to see if she was still conscious.

"That isn't something you should be doing to a lady."

That voice caused him to duck by instinct before one of Larxene's Knives was sent downwards at the top of his head. He turned back to see her behind him, even though she was clearly present on the ground.

She took the other Knives on her other hand and brought it down on Ash. The boy jumped out of the way quickly, but the Knives had already slashed at his shoulder, causing blood to leak out.

He stood away from her, holding onto his bleeding shoulder, looking at her other body on the ground, which looked like it was slowly disappearing.

Larxene had already positioned the Knives in her hand to strike again.

Ash materialized his Aura Blade and charged at her.

"You can keep trying," said Larxene as a small ball of electricity appeared in front of her. She moved it to go farther away, and it suddenly changed to become a large ball of cracking thunder.

Ash had quickly ducked before he was struck by the ball, letting it barely miss his head. He then jumped out from under it while back-flipping, then sending his aura covered foot on her.

She simply grabbed his foot, and then dangled him in midair.

"You know...I've always wanted to see what a heart really looked like. Maybe I should see yours."

A bolt of thunder then came crashing down on Ash. It continuously shocked him as he yelled in pain. His vision proceeded to get blurry, but then he saw something kick Larxene, pushing her back while also dropping Ash.

Ash's face got buried in the snow, and when he got out, he saw Combusken before him.

"You alright?"

He heard May's sweet voice behind him. He turned to her and nodded. Even though his fingertips were still twitching after getting hit by that attack, he still stood up with May's support.

"You sure it's alright for Combusken to be out of its Pokeball now?" he asked.

"It was the one who wanted to help," said May.

"Pikachu!"

The electric mouse ran between Ash's legs to get in front of him. Even though it was injured after that attack Larxene had inflicted on them earlier, it still stood, ready to keep going.

Larxene had already regained her composure. She gave a "tch" after seeing more foes.

"That's more of a bloodbath for me then."

Ash immediately came running at her. He tried throwing a punch, but Larxene just held out a fist that smashed into the boy's face, sending him backward.

Then, Pikachu came running at her with a Volt Tackle. Due to the attack having the same element as her, she easily brushed off the attack and held Pikachu's forehead tossing it aside.

Combusken then came and struck Larxene with a Fire Punch from behind, but Larxene easily held its fist in the palm of her hand. With them all surrounding her, she could easily deal the final blow and end it all.

A smirk formed on her face yet again, but it was quickly erased when Ash's aura covered feet rammed into her chin.

Pikachu then came back and struck her with an Iron Tail, pushing her away from them.

Combusken came from behind and delivered a powerful kick, launching her away. She crashed into the snow as snow flew into the air.

They all stood together, ready for her to stand back up.

After a while, unfortunately, they saw her coming out of the snow. She wiped off the snow from her jacket and glared at them.

"Congrats...you've succeeded in getting through this."

Then, they noticed the Knives she was carrying becoming longer, and green lines started to form on them. The snow around her feet was popping as sparks escaped from them. Her weapons could no longer be classified as Knives anymore. Now they all just looked like long daggers, and she had no problem carrying them all in her hands.

"Now...let's see how you'll be able to get past this."

She then rushed at them at an incredible speed. Ash pushed May to the ground and took out his Aura Blade. She struck him with the daggers on her right hand, but he blocked them. He prepared to direct his attention to the other set on her other hand, but before he could, he already felt wounds open on his side.

He yelled in pain, Larxene took his head and tossed him aside. May's first reaction was to run toward him, while Combusken and Pikachu proceeded to strike Larxene. As they got close, Larxene didn't even seem to move, but they both felt strikes hitting them repeatedly on their bodies. They fell to the ground, having a hard time getting up.

Larxene started walking toward the kids. Ash tried stopping the blood that was coming from his side, but Larxene had already kicked him down. She then placed her foot on his head.

"I shall start the bloodshed with the blood from your head all over this snow."

Before she could apply anymore pressure though, a snowball had hit her face. She froze, and then slowly turned to May, who already had another snowball in her hand. She was staring defiantly at the woman.

"What kind of child do you think I am?" Larxene asked. May didn't respond. This prompted the woman to take one of her daggers and throw it at May.

"Watch it!"

Dawn suddenly came and knocked May to the ground with her, but not before receiving a gash on her leg where the dagger cut instead.

They landed on the ground, and Dawn held her bleeding leg as May quickly checked to see if she was okay.

Ash watched this all go down, and it made him try forcing himself to get back up, but Larxene kept pressing his face against the snow.

She wasn't even paying attention to Ash at this point. Her sight was focused on Brendan, off in the distance fighting Demyx.

"How pitiful," she said out of nowhere.

Piplup and Mightyena looked exhausted. They tried their hardest to at least try dispersing the water attacks from Demyx before they hit their respective trainers, but every time they destroyed one, another appeared in its place. Now, Brendan was trying to protect them, diverting the water from the Pokemon, trying to get him to be the aim of Demyx's attacks.

But even he too was getting exhausted. After their previous battle, he hadn't really gone into full recovery yet.

"Don't look all tired on me," said Demyx as he snickered. "That ruins all the fun."

"Screw...you."

And then, using Mightyena's speed, Brendan came running at Demyx. Demyx played a note, and a pillar of water went toward Brendan.

Brendan jumped out of the way as the pillar dug deep within the ground.

Brendan kept going until he was finally in front Demyx.

He cocked his Aggron-powered fist back and prepared to strike him, but then a geyser came out of nowhere and launched the boy into the sky. When another note was played, two more pillars of water came up from behind him and went for Brendan on opposite sides. They crashed into him while he was in the middle of it.

His yell was pleasing to Larxene's ears, and her smirk grew as she saw him fall to the ground.

Demyx proceeded to shake his ass around again.

"Brendan!" called out Dawn, and she tried standing to get to get to him, but the pain in her leg was too much, and she fell back down.

"Pitiful."

Ash's glare went toward Larxene, who was now loosening her foot on his head.

"You kids try so, so hard, but you'll all end up dead by the end of this. You grew up with hearts, telling you what was right and wrong, but now, you must've noticed that the choice you made was wrong."

"Our choice was right," said Ash as he watched Brendan try getting back up. "We came to protect something that you people were trying to destroy."

"No," said Larxene, and Ash saw the chance to escape from under her foot. "The choice you made was definitely wrong."

"Shut up!"

Ash got out from beneath her and swung his Aura Blade at her neck, but Larxene jumped backwards to dodge it, as if she was expecting it. She threw one dagger at the entrance of the cave in the process. When she landed, she threw two more at her sides.

"Are you prepared for another?" asked Larxene, and she now positioned her arms as if she had a bow and arrow. The kids thought she was creating something, but they saw nothing.

May was the one who looked up and saw the clouds gathering in one spot in the sky.

"Ash-"

She didn't finish, because the dagger at the cave sent large electrical currents to grab onto the kids', including Brendan's, legs. It then proceeded to pull them to it. The Pokemon were not captured. The kids tried releasing themselves from the attack, but their attempts were useless.

They heard thunder crack in the sky.

"You have survived many attacks," said Larxene, "It'll be one hell of a miracle to dodge this one."

She then released her imagery arrow, and at that exact moment, a large thunderbolt came from the clouds toward them, but it wasn't shaped as a normal thunderbolt.

It looked like an arrow made of thunder.

The grip of the electrical currents was getting weaker as the arrow came closer.

Everything turned white, and one girl acted without thinking.

May suddenly turned and pushed Dawn into the cave so hard that it looked like she elbowed the bluenette. Dawn's leg was released, and she rolled deeper into the cave that had a downward inclined slope in it.

She only watched as her friends were electrocuted by the powerful attack, and the winds pushed her deeper within. Demyx, to escape the winds that were formed because of the explosion, surrounded himself in a water prison, and Larxene stood still in her position after she released the bow, smiling.

When the explosion, stopped Dawn's first reaction was to climb the slope toward the entrance, despite the pain she was feeling from her leg.

When she got up there, her expression turned to horror as she watched her friends lie on the ground. She saw sparks leave their bodies, and she saw their bodies twitch involuntarily.

She heard Larxene's laugh, and her eyes met hers.

Demyx got out from his water ball and looked around at the destruction.

"Great," he said. "Now we've got them out of the way, let's do our business and then get the fuck out of here."

"No."

Larxene's hands were now carrying her normal Knives that materialized. She was looking at Dawn.

"Not all of them."

"But, Larxene, she's weak. We can just flick her and she'll be down."

"I SAID NOW ALL OF THEM!" she yelled as she got closer. Dawn was frozen in place, unable to move.

But then at the corner of her eye, she saw Brendan getting back up.

She saw Ash getting back up.

She saw May's body move a little bit.

Larxene stopped and watched as the boys tried standing up, even when their body parts were twitching with the volts of electricity coursing through their bodies.

"You know," she said, "if you allowed yourselves to stay down on that one, I would've given you a silent death."

"We're not done yet," Brendan said.

"You have to hit us with more power than that to actually kill us," said Ash.

The boys were so weak that just flicking them would send them down, but Larxene was confused.

That was one of her most powerful attacks. Whoever was hit by it would've had their limbs ripped apart, their eyes popped out of their sockets, and their hearts to explode.

But she then noticed the red leaving May's eyes, and then it made sense.

Her power was the reason they were alive. She had done something.

_"Dammit," _Larxene thought.

May then forcefully moved her neck to look at Dawn.

"Go protect Articuno."

She had said that in such a low voice that it looked like she was whispering, and Dawn was lucky to hear it.

"Me? What about you guys?"

"If something happens to us, you'll be by Articuno to protect it."

"I-I can't fight these guys alone. They'll kill me without a fight."

"I know you can do it, Dawn."

"But-"

"Don't worry, it'll be there to help you."

Dawn, feeling reluctant to leave her friends to this monster who could kill them at any second now, didn't want to go. But she couldn't let them down, so she nodded.

"Fine," she said. "But I'll give you ten minutes. If you're not done yet, I'm coming back."

"We'll get this done in nine," said Ash.

"How about five?" said Brendan.

Dawn turned back once more, and then walked deeper within the cave.

* * *

She was limping as he used the wall to support her movements. She felt the cold air hit her body, and she shivered. Even as the cold got more intense, she kept walking.

The walls and floor were icy, so she had to watch her footing.

She heard the explosion and rumbling from outside, but she tried her best to ignore them.

She then heard a small screech coming from the Pokemon within that cave.

She walked faster, until she finally got out of the tunnel and stood in a large, open, icy area.

A platform sat in the middle, and on that platform was Articuno, glaring at her.

Dawn got closer, raising her hands up to show that she wasn't a threat.

She had noticed that ice was placed all over Articuno's body, signifying that it covered its wounds up to stop the bleeding and to heal up.

She finally got close enough, and her knees sank into the snow as she breathed heavily.

"I'm sorry," Dawn said. "They sent me. I know I won't be able to do much for you. My friends are out there, trying the best they can to prevent those people from getting in, and I don't know how long they can hold out. If they are finished...then I'm sorry."

A pause followed, and it sounded as if Dawn was trying to hold back tears.

"I...I'm not like them. I don't have power to fight like them. I'm always the girl that has to stand back as I watch them break their backs. It's hard, and I try to get through it, but in times like this, I feel so, so useless. But-"

Dawn looked toward Articuno's eyes, and Articuno could see her determined soul through hers.

"-I've got the same spirit as them! Even if those people get in here, I'd still stand and fight, even if I'm powerless! I'll keep fighting until I die! So you don't have to worry, because I'll be here to protect you! And one day, I'll be able to protect them, too! Because you don't need power to do the right thing!"

She then extended out her hand.

"So put your faith in me! Please!"

Articuno stared at her. After a moment, it nodded.

It then reached out and placed its beak on Dawn's hand. It made Dawn smile.

But her smile quickly turned to shock as she watched a blue light form on her hand.

* * *

Demyx sat alone, playing notes on his Sitar. He was so bored, especially over the fact that Larxene hadn't finished kicking and torturing the kids that were at her feet.

It had only been five minutes since Dawn had gone in. The kids were down in two.

"Are you done yet?"

"Almost," said Larxene as he stepped over Ash's gut and started kicking it. Blood escaped his mouth, and his vision became more and more blurry.

They had lost the fight, but Larxene wouldn't let them go. She continued to kick them all, preventing them from dying. She tried to let the moment last.

Demyx found this to be a complete waste of time. Since the kids were down, they could just enter the cave and finish off Articuno, and then just end their quest before the other Dark Signers realize that they've been gone for a hella long time.

"Are you done now?"

"If you want to finish this up so quickly, then how about you go in there and capture Articuno rather than sit on your fat ass."

"I don't want to get myself killed," said Demyx, and he looked away to proceed playing with his Sitar.

Larxene looked down at the kids. None of them were dead. She felt satisfied now, so she no longer felt the need to torture them.

Now, it was best just to kill them.

She walked over to Brendan and materialized one of her Knives.

"Maybe if you didn't decide to intervene, this wouldn't have happened to you, you think?"

"I don't regret this at all."

"Whatever," said Larxene, and she held the weapon higher. "Then you should be prepared for this."

Larxene then felt an even colder atmosphere surround her. Demyx felt it as well.

The kids didn't feel it, but they did feel something weird.

Larxene quickly turned to the cave entrance, and out of it came Dawn.

She wasn't wearing her coat. She was in her normal clothes, even though the air around them was definitely below zero degrees.

Larxene noticed ice covering her leg wound.

She snickered.

"You came back out?" she asked. "You should've just found an exit and got the hell out of here."

Dawn glared at her.

Her only response was placing her right foot in front of the other, and then placed her fist over her palm.

A blue light formed between her fist and palm.

Larxene watched in observation, seeing her next move.

And then, like out of thin air, large, ice like lances appeared out of her extended palm and they all headed for Larxene.

Everyone was wide eyed.

Dawn had obtained the power of ice.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** With Dawn's newly obtained power, she begins her attack against the Savage Nymph. This turns the tables on the battle, and it is with this battle that'll decide the fate of Articuno. How will this battle end, and will Articuno stay within the light, or will it fall into the darkness? **Next Time: Ice Princess.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Yes, Dawn Berlitz has obtained ice powers. I made the poll some time ago to ask you guys if it was okay for her to get powers, and the majority of the vote went to it becoming real. There is actually a whole backstory as to why I decided to give her powers, and why I gave her THIS power, but I'll be explaining that next chapter. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 1,197)**


	11. Ice Princess

**This is the one hundred forty-fifth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. This will conclude this arc, and remember that the author's note at the end of this chapter is important to read. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Larxene felt the atmosphere get colder. Demyx felt it as well.

The kids didn't feel it, but they did feel something weird.

Larxene quickly turned to the cave entrance, and out of it came Dawn.

She wasn't wearing her coat. She was in her normal clothes, even though the air around them was definitely below zero degrees.

Larxene noticed ice covering her leg wound.

She snickered.

"You came back out?" she asked. "You should've just found an exit and gotten the hell out of here."

Dawn glared at her.

Her only response was placing her right foot in front of the other, and then placed her fist on her palm.

A blue light formed between her fist and palm.

Larxene watched in observation, seeing her next move.

And then, like out of thin air, large, ice like lances appeared out of her extended palm and they all headed for Larxene.

Everyone was wide eyed.

_"What the hell?!"_

Knowing that she didn't have time to just be amazed at what was happening, she quickly back-flipped to get away. The ice lances barely missed Brendan's face as he tried pushing his body deeper into the snow.

Larxene landed away, but the ice lances were still coming at her. She used her Knives to break them into pieces.

Brendan tried getting up to go at her, but then he saw Dawn's feet land beside him.

He slowly looked up at her, to make sure she was the real thing.

"Dawn..."

"Don't worry," said Dawn as she placed her fist on her palm again. "I'll hold them off for a little while until you guys recover a little bit."

"How did you-"

"I'll explain later!"

Larxene glared at them, and then her glare then was immediately replaced with a smug look.

"This was your choice," she said, "and this was a wrong one."

**Ice Princess**

* * *

Larxene rushed toward Dawn immediately. Dawn, acting quickly, created the light in her hand, and separated them, having a blue light on both of her hands.

She then placed them on the ground, and large, ice spikes rose up from the ground, heading toward Larxene.

Larxene stopped and jumped up before the spikes hit her. She aimed the Knives in her hands toward Dawn, but then, out of nowhere, Dawn created a gigantic ice lance from the ground, going up toward Larxene.

She barely dodged the attack, and then she tossed the Knives at Dawn.

Dawn extended her hands, and a large wall of ice blocked the Knives from coming at her.

Larxene smirked, and snapped her fingers, making the Knives release electrical currents that destroyed the wall that it was against.

Right as the ice wall exploded, she threw another few, but they were all countered by ice arrows that struck them and the rest headed for Larxene.

_"What?!"_

She tried dodging, but the sharp ice cut her jacket and gave her two cuts on her face.

She immediately jumped out of the way before another hit her, but then she was rammed right into the ground by a large ice hammer that appeared above her.

The snow was blow away, and the ground beneath the snow had large cracks on it.

Ash sat up, his mouth wide open. He turned to Brendan, whose eyes were just fixated at his girlfriend. May smiled.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" said Ash. "What does this mean if I bother her now?!"

"It means you die," said May.

Demyx stopped playing with his Sitar and watched casually. Larxene was down, and Dawn was just standing there, and then she turned to him.

"Are you gonna come at me, too?"

"No ma'am," he said as he turned around.

Larxene used her arms as support to get back up. Dawn placed her fist in her palm.

"Y-You are trying to get yourself killed, aren't you, HUH?! Did you really think that could kill me?!"

"Not really," said Dawn. "I'm just holding you off, letting the others get a break before they start fighting you again. Even with this power, I don't expect to actually beat you, though. By the end of this, I might have a broken arm. I'm amazed that a dumb bitch like you got hit by such an avoidable attack."

Larxene's glare stabbed at Dawn.

She swiftly stood and ran at the girl. She took the Knives in her hand and swung them at Dawn when she got close enough, but Dawn ducked. She swung downwards, but Dawn quickly moved back. Larxene saw this opportunity to kick her on her side, sending her through the air.

"Dawn!" yelled Brendan as he got to his knees, ready to help her.

"No need to worry!"

Dawn then created an ice platform in midair that stopped her after she placed her feet on it.

"I'll tell you when I'm done!"

She placed her fist on her palm, and then released large, icy fists toward Larxene. There were so many of them coming in fast that Larxene knew she'd be hit by one. She crossed her arms and took the impact of one of them, moving backward. She saw two others coming at her, and she released an electric current that destroyed the ice in front of her, and threw one of her Knives on each ice fist that sent electrical currents to destroy them.

"Ha! That's-"

She was then hit by a large ice ball that was shot out of a large long-barreled cannon on Dawn's shoulder. She was launched away, skidding on the snow.

"How are you able to hold onto that?" asked Brendan. "You have NO upper body strength!"

Dawn wanted to aim her cannon at him, but in this situation, she decided to focus instead.

"It feels light to me," said Dawn as the cannon broke into many icy pieces. "I feel like it's connected to me after I create them."

She saw Larxene getting back up, holding onto her gut.

_"How?! She was just standing there doing nothing a while ago! How...how can she suddenly do this?! How is it possible to—"_

She then saw a red liquid fall onto the snow.

Her hand slowly went for her mouth, she felt her own blood falling from it.

"Did I hurt you too bad?" asked Dawn. "That's the same pain that you inflicted on many others. How does it feel now?"

Larxene slowly stood. Dawn then noticed the Knives in Larxene's hands transforming into daggers.

Then, at lightning fast speed, Larxene ran toward Dawn. She quickly created an ice shield, and Larxene cut it, breaking it in pieces. Dawn tried creating another, but Larxene had already kicked her in her gut, sending her back.

She skidded across the snow. She quickly stopped, and then placed her hands on the ground, turning the ground into ice while Larxene ran toward her.

Larxene smirked and lightly jumped up, and then her whole body got covered in electricity as she soared toward Dawn without even touching the floor.

Dawn created an ice hammer, swinging it at Larxene before she got any closer, but the weapon struck Larxene's arm, and she was glaring at Dawn.

"You don't stand a chance."

Immediately afterward, bolts of electricity struck Dawn all at once, shocking her as she screamed in pain. While getting shocked, she quickly created a large wall that separated the bolts of electricity from her. She landed on the ground, but then she saw a large crack form on the wall, and then it all fell to the ground in pieces.

Larxene smirked, and proceeded to swing her daggers at Dawn. Dawn quickly moved back to dodge them.

Larxene swung her daggers at Dawn again, but the girl created an ice shield to block them, but it broke as soon as the daggers struck it. She created one after another to block them as Larxene swung again and again, and they all broke. Dawn was moving backward to get away from her, but Larxene kept coming.

Then, before Dawn could create another, Larxene cut her arm with her dagger. Blood came out, but then Dawn was electrocuted immediately after.

She screamed in pain until Larxene kicked her head, bringing it down to the snow. She lifted the dagger in her hand to strike.

"Get the fuck off her!"

Brendan, from behind, threw his Aggron-powered punch at Larxene. Larxene ducked and elbowed him. Brendan fell back on the snow. Larxene was about to throw a dagger at him, but then she realized something was weird.

She looked down and saw her leg covered in ice, with Dawn's hand holding onto it.

The ice was growing.

A strong electric current escaped Larxene's body, destroying the ice that was growing.

Dawn quickly created an ice cocoon around her with sharp icicles coming from the top. Larxene jumped out of the way quickly to dodge them. The ice had covered Brendan as well as he held his stomach. Dawn went over to him.

"You alright?"

"I've experienced more pain than this."

Dawn smiled a little, and then she looked to see Larxene ready to strike again.

"Just heal up for a while," said Dawn. "I'll hold her off."

"She's too strong," Brendan said in grumbles. "You'll get hurt."

"I won't die," said Dawn, and she noticed a thunderbolt coming down at the ice cocoon.

"I promise."

The thunderbolt struck it, destroying their defense immediately. From the destruction though, Dawn quickly came running at her with her fist on her palm.

"You just don't learn, do ya?" asked Larxene, and she tossed three daggers at Dawn.

With a yell, she placed her hands on the ground, causing a gigantic, ice pillar below them both to bring them up to the sky. Larxene tried steadying herself from falling off the slippery ice as the pillar continued to ascend, but Dawn seemed to magnetically connect to the ice.

She then stood and placed her fist on her palm once again, creating two molded swords. She then ran at Larxene. She swung one blade, but Larxene just dodged it. She swung the other, and Larxene broke it with her fist, without receiving a scratch. Dawn took the other sword and swung it, but Larxene destroyed it with her elbow. She then directed a hard fist toward Dawn's face, sending her down with her fist to the large ice pillar below them. The impact was so strong that it destroyed the pillar completely, sending them and large pieces of ice to the ground.

Dawn, now with a bruise on her cheek, landed on one of these chunks of ice. She placed her fist on her palm, and a large, even brighter light appeared. Out from it molded an extremely large broadsword, possibly larger than her, that had a large resemblance to the sword Excalibur.

She jumped off the ice and swung the blade at the Dark Signer. She tried breaking it, but it was made of hard ice, so her fist was pushed back, and the blade cut at her side, but instead of blood flowing out, it was a large chunk of ice that came out.

Larxene's expression was shocked, but it was immediately replaced with anger as she turned to Dawn.

"YOU...BITCH!"

Dawn's broadsword broke into pieces, and she looked down to the ground.

"Ash! Brendan!"

Confused at first, Ash smirked.

"Hell yeah!"

He launched an Aura Breath toward Larxene, who was heading for Dawn. She saw the attack and crossed her arms, but still took the full attack. She groaned in pain as she was launched further into the sky, giving Dawn a safe enough distance from her. Dawn headed for the ground, where May was trying to position herself to catch her. She fell on her, and they both fell to the ground.

"I'm done!" yelled Larxene. "No more playing games!"

Electricity covered her, and she dashed toward Ash. The boy got his Aura Blade ready, but before she could strike him, a hard fist collided with her face. She was pushed away into the snow. She got up and saw Brendan standing over there.

She was about to hit him with a thunderbolt, but then an Aura Sphere attached to the Aura Guardian's hand hit her back, knocking her further into the ground after a large explosion.

Ash jumped out of the way, but before he hit the ground, Larxene came and grabbed him face. She surrounded herself with electricity, and went for Brendan at an alarming speed. He couldn't even move before she took his face, and then she flew up toward the large ice structure, and rammed their faces against it as she kept soaring.

She laughed maniacally as Ash and Brendan's faces were scraped against the ice, with blood escaping their foreheads and falling on the ice.

They acted quickly and they each took Larxene's arms, used it to spin around her to get out of her grip, and then they each delivered an aura covered and an Aggron-powered punch to her back, slamming her into the ice structure, creating large cracks.

She placed her feet on the ice and jumped off. As she fell to the ground, she created a large ball of electricity and tossed it at them.

"You're not going anywhere!" said Brendan, and he used Marshstomp's power to steady himself on the ice structure, and then used Pelipper's to soar up into the sky, jumping over the electrical ball.

Ash took care of it and hit it with an Aura Breath, causing an explosion that sent snow up, blinding them all.

When it disappeared, Larxene found Brendan under her, preparing his right, iron hard fist, and launched it at her chin. The force of the punch sent her to the sky.

She materialized three daggers and threw them at Brendan, but this distracted her from seeing Ash, who was engulfed in aura against the ice structure.

"This is it!" yelled Ash, and he jumped off, propelling himself at the woman. She blocked his head-butt, but his fist punched her on her face, sending her backward while they were in midair.

Brendan jumped out of the way before the daggers hit him, and then he turned around.

"Dawn, now!"

Larxene looked at Dawn, and her eyes widened as she saw the girl, by May, holding onto a large ice bow, with an intricate ice arrow pulled back. The arrow was glowing with blue light.

She released the arrow, and as it went for Larxene. Winds picked up behind it, causing a shockwave that pushed Dawn to the ground.

Larxene only saw a blue light heading for her, and she yelled as the arrow struck her, releasing a great ball of light that blinded them all. When that ball of light dispersed, it created an explosion so large that snow was tossed up high into the air.

The battle was over.

* * *

Dawn was wrapping a bandage around her wrist and leg.

They were all now within the cave room where Articuno rested.

It had already passed half an hour after their battle with Larxene.

Immediately after the battle, they had searched around the area, hopefully looking for Larxene's disappearing body.

Sadly, they didn't find anything, and even the Dark Signer that was with her wasn't there.

That means they had escaped, even after Larxene was hit with such a powerful blow, she was still alive.

But they didn't lament on it for too long.

They were just lucky to have survived it. They were all injured, and bandages covered their bodies. Now that Larxene's plan had been thwarted, she had lost the chance to capture Articuno. But since the area was dangerous, Articuno may leave and never return here. Now that meant The Dark Signers would have an even harder time finding it since it flies around Ransei, settling into different mountains to rest in.

And that was what made their victory sweeter.

"Just be careful from now on," said May as she checked for any more injuries on the Pokemon's body. "Those people might come after you again, but you'll be more cautious this time, so you don't have to worry about getting hurt anytime soon."

Articuno nodded in agreement.

"I still think I would've beaten that bitch by myself," said Ash. "Now she's gone off, running like a baby. That counts as my win then."

"But you got your ass beaten brutally, though," said Brendan.

Ash started saying things to him that would've started a long argument, but Brendan's attention went to Dawn, who was sitting on an ice rock, looking exhausted and keeping her eyes closed.

"Are you cold?" Brendan asked her as he came closer, making her open her eyes.

"No."

"But we're in a cave of ice? How are you not?"

"I don't know, but I just don't feel cold anymore."

"ARE WE JUST GONNA IGNORE THE FACT THAT SHE'S GOT SOME BEASTLY POWER?!" yelled Ash as he went by Brendan's shoulder. "THINK ABOUT IT! SHE NOW HAS THE CHANCE TO KILL US IN OUR SLEEP! MAY, DO SOMETHING!"

"I don't want to get myself killed."

"SEE?!"

"I won't hurt you as long as you don't piss me off," said Dawn.

Brendan continued to stare at her.

"How'd you get it?" he asked. Dawn smiled and looked at her hands.

"Articuno gave it to me," she said. "I find it beautiful. I can create whatever I want out of thin air. It's amazing."

"Articuno's now giving away free powers?!" yelled Ash as he went by the Pokemon and extended his hand. "Give me some of that shit!"

Articuno looked at him with pitiful eyes, and then placed its beak on his hand, creating blue light.

"Ha, ha, ha!"

He then froze within a thick block of ice.

Everyone sweat-dropped.

His spirit must've not been pure enough to handle that type of power.

Dawn looked at Brendan with a sweet smile on her face as she leaned forward.

"Now that I have this, I'll be protecting you now. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, Brendan. I promise."

Hearing her last words reminded Brendan of the time he learned of his power, and he told Dawn that same sentence in the clearing within the forest after they beat those bounty hunters. The memory made him slightly blush, and he scratched his cheek while trying to look away.

"Um...just remember not to get yourself too crazy with it, though."

"You don't have to worry about me."

"No, I mean that I promised your mom that I'd bring you back WITHOUT any freakish accident. She's gonna kill me!"

"You might be my first victim."

A small giggle escaped Dawn's mouth. Brendan's blush got brighter.

"Hey, can you guys help me out here?" asked May while holding onto a hammer and a nail. "Ash might freeze to death."

Brendan and Dawn sighed.

* * *

She walked on the grassy plains, where Snowtop Mountain could be seen from a distance.

Her jacket was torn in many places. Blood fell from her side, her face, and her mouth. It was evident that she was beaten up, and she held The Melodious Nocturne under her arm. He was unconscious.

She was limping. She had a blank, grim expression on her face. She didn't care about anything that came in her path.

Then, she saw a black portal open up farther from her, and out stepped a Dark Signer. He pulled his hood down, and it was revealed to be Saix.

"You had been gone for a while, Larxene," he said as she limped on closer. "Roman hadn't sensed if you had died, so we were prepared to send a search party to bring you back to the castle. Where have you been all this time?"

Larxene seemed to be ignoring him.

"I asked where you have been."

Larxene stopped, and looked Saix dead in the eyes.

"I was on Snowtop Mountain, trying to retrieve Articuno."

"Were you given that mission?"

"No. This was on my own terms."

Saix noticed Demyx under her arm.

"Was he a part of this?"

"No. I forced him to go. He had no idea what was happening."

They stayed quiet, but then Saix broke the ice.

"So you were a part of Marluxia's plans."

Larxene didn't respond. She only limped on to the portal behind Saix.

Before she got in, Saix placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her movements.

Dangerous sparks started flying everywhere from Larxene's body. Saix wasn't flinching at all. He stared at her blankly, ready to fight if she was.

Then, her glare turned to him.

"No, this is not Marluxia's plan. This is my own, and this one will certainly succeed."

She pushed Saix's hand off of her and proceeded to walk.

"I will report this to Roman," Saix said.

"Do it. I don't care."

Larxene now walked in. She was in the void of darkness.

Her blank expression remained on her face.

She could only think about one thing as memories flashed in and out of her head:

She was going to kill Ash and his friends.

And she was going to do it brutally.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Gary is sent to strike Ash and his friends once again, and Misty is determined to intervene this time. Fueled with the determination to return Gary to the way he was, Misty will even defy her uncle's orders to make everything right. How will she get through to Gary, and what does her uncle think of her defiance? **Next Time: Gary Strikes Again.**

* * *

**Okay, some important words.**

**Let me just point out how Larxene was able to survive such a brutal beatdown. The only Dark Signers who were defeated so far are Drew, Vexen, and Marluxia. Drew and Marluxia had planned to fight to the death, and Vexen was the weakest of all The Dark Signers, so just a few hits from Ash was able to kill him. Larxene, however, wasn't fighting to the death. She just wanted to get rid of these kids, and if it wasn't successful, she would leave. She's also one of the most powerful Dark Signers, even fearlessly going against Saix, so Ash and the others are lucky to have injured her. That shows some character development. They are certainly getting stronger. From this season onward, the Dark Signers will start to become the most important, so it'll speed up the battles between Ash and them.**

**Another important thing I want to point out is Dawn's power, which has a big backstory to it. I never thought about it when I wrote the first FOUR seasons. I wanted her to be powerless. It is not until the exact end of season 4 that I got a suggestion from darkboy18 to return Sora (this was all the way back in April), and let Ash rip out his powers, giving May's stolen power to her and giving the Lugia part to Dawn. I rejected it, mostly because I didn't want Dawn to have powers, BUT I did find it interesting. I started to think of scenarios about Dawn actually having these powers. I found it cool, but I couldn't let LUGIA give it to her.**

**It is during season 5 that I realized that it would actually be fine to give her powers, and I wanted her to have powers similar to Lugia, and I associate Lugia with ice and water most of the time, so I wanted to give her some kind of ice or water power. Until the end of the fifth season, I decided what she'd have, and who'd give it to her. Since she was the only member then having no powers, I wanted to make sure it was okay to give her some with a poll, and the majority seemed to agree.**

**But, if you have noticed, her powers are very similar to a certain anime character's power. If you had seen it, then you are right, for she has the same power as Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail. You see, Ice-Make is my most favorite power in FT, wishing that if magic really did exist, that'd be the first power I'd learn. I wanted Ash to evolve his aura into having it work the same as ice-make, but I just didn't see it happening. When I decided to give her water or ice powers, I immediately thought of ice make, and THAT was what evolved into making Dawn have her power. It all started thanks to darkboy18 for giving me that suggestion, so thanks!**

**Now, another thing to talk about is my updates. I've been giving in so many late updates, and every time I say it's gonna be fixed, it's not. After a while, I'm learning what's causing it. It is my double updates. It's hard writing two chapters when I'm busy. So for now until changed, I will be giving out single updates once again. Just until everything I have is cleared for me. Next chapter, a single chapter, SHOULD be coming out by tomorrow, Thursday, or Friday. After that, there will be normal updates on Monday with one chapter. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 1,197)**


	12. Gary Strikes Again

**This is the one hundred forty-sixth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Important info at the end. Gary FINALLY returns, and Misty plays a big role in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Misty walked into the kitchen.

She took out a tray from the pantry and placed it on the counter. She also took out teacups, washed them, and then placed them on the tray.

She went over to the stove, with a teapot in her hand. She placed it on the fire, and after a few minutes, she saw water vapor escaping from the spout, and heard the whistle noise.

She stood there, just watching the steam go into the air, and then immediately disappear.

She hadn't been able to be herself for the past few weeks.

Ever since the day Gary entered Red City and attempted to kill a friend of hers, she hadn't been able to think of happy thoughts at all.

She could only think about whether or not HE was okay.

She knew that her uncle, Sephiroth, had been the one who changed Gary. When she spoke to him about it, he threatened to kill her. Ever since, it seemed that he had forgotten his raging outburst. He spoke to her normally. She didn't mind that. She still cooked, cleaned, and accepted missions that he gave to her. But she had noticed that Sephiroth had been giving her a bunch of missions, especially before or after he told Gary about something he wanted the boy to do. Even so, she does it faster than she's normally supposed to, just to get back before Gary. She didn't trust him in the cabin alone with her uncle anymore,

Sometimes she saw him returning with blood falling from the edge of his sword.

This gave her a chill, and she quickly snapped back into reality after she heard the teapot giving off a high pitched sound. She turned off the stove and took the teapot, pouring some of the hot tar into the teacups. When they were both filled, she placed the teapot away and held the tray on both sides.

She walked out of the kitchen, but stopped quickly before she bumped into Gary. She turned to him, and he glared at her before walking away.

She frowned, but then nodded.

_"Wait for me, Gary. I'll bring you back."_

**Gary Strikes Again**

* * *

While balancing the filled teacup on the tray, she walked carefully toward her uncle's study room. It was just around the corner, but she stopped after hearing faint voices.

"We shall proceed then."

That was her uncle, and he obviously was talking to Gary, since she and Gary were the only other people residing here.

"Where?" Gary asked.

"Within the Teakwook Forest. They are passing by there currently. It doesn't have much people or Pokemon there, so there won't be distractions. But the forest is heavily covered with trees. You can use that to your advantage."

"You're telling me to sneakingly kill them."

"Yes."

"Tch. Then how the hell do you expect this to be a fair fight?"

She heard her uncle sigh.

"We've already established this. You'll take care of Ketchum AFTER you take care of the princess."

"Do I leave now?"

"Go right ahead."

Misty peaked into the room, and she saw her uncle toss a scroll over to Gary.

"If you don't succeed, then that's fine. This is only a step on the staircase."

"I will succeed."

Gary stood and walked out of the room, not even acknowledging Misty.

She watched him walk down the hallway down to the door.

She already felt sweat coming down from her forehead.

_"May. Ash."_

"Misty!"

Misty straightened up and subconsciously entered the room at the call of her name. She walked over to her uncle's low table and placed the tray on it. Her uncle smiled and took his teacup, bringing the edge close to his mouth.

"Where is Gary going?"

Misty asked this question, but she knew full well what he was planning to do. Sephiroth stopped his movement and turned to her.

"He's going out on a simple mission. That's all."

"May I go with him?"

He took a drink and placed the cup on the tray.

"You may not. I've already got a mission for you."

"Uh-huh," Misty said, and her glare was centered at her uncle, who was looking down at a newspaper.

"There is a secret area within the Pinwheel Forest," he said. "I don't require you to go in. I just need you to take care of the guardians that are placed around it. I'll send Gary out to take care of that area later. You understand?"

"Yes. When do I head out?"

"Now."

"Alright."

Misty turned around and stepped halfway out of the room.

"Misty."

Her uncle's call stopped her. She did not turn back though.

"Be careful," he had said. It didn't sound worrisome. It sounded more like a warning.

"Alright," said Misty. She then walked out. She headed for the door to the outside. She opened it slowly and stepped out. She saw a portal just closing up near the entrance. When it was gone, she shut the door behind her and walked a little away from the door, but then stopped.

Her fist shook, and her heart was pounding against her chest.

"Like..." she said through her clenched teeth.

She then slammed her foot on the ground and raced into the forest.

"...hell I'd do that!"

She kept on running until she got to the shore of the island. She looked behind her, and she didn't see anybody nearby.

_"Good."_

She opened up her bag and took out a scroll. This scroll was made by her uncle, but Misty had taken it away the night he was resting after hearing her uncle mumble things about Ash. Right now, he thought he misplaced it and had made another to give to Gary.

If Gary was heading toward Teakwook Forest, then this scroll was going to send her there as well.

_"There might be a chance it won't, but I just have to take my chances."_

She opened it up, and from it opened up a black portal.

Without any hesitation, she jumped in.

While the portal closed up behind her, Sephiroth exited the forest. He watched it close, and then he sighed.

* * *

The portal opened up in a clearing within Teakwook Forest. Out came the spiky haired brunette carrying a sword strapped to his back.

Sephiroth had always opened up portals far away from the targeted spot in an isolated area, just so people wouldn't find anything suspicious about a boy exiting them. That meant that Gary's target was somewhere within the forest, and he'd have to go find them.

The portal closed up behind him. He closed his eyes and looked toward the sky. He stayed motionless for a while as the wind blew on him. He breathed in and out calmly, taking in every sound from the forest. He heard Pokemon scattering about, he heard something fall from a tree, and he heard the Pigeottos flying away. He stayed completely quiet.

Then, he heard a faint "pika" in the distance, and his eyes shot open, and he looked in that direction.

_"Found you."_

With his power, he raced at an amazing speed into the forest while covered in electricity. His mentor was true to his word, for the forest was heavily dense with trees and shrubs. There was hardly a path. He swiftly dodged trees and shrubs, and then he made a sudden stop. He jumped up into a tree and looked out from the leaves.

Finally, on a narrow path, he saw his target.

Ash was leading the group, followed by May, Dawn, and Brendan in the back. May seemed to be complaining about something, and Ash seemed to try his best at ignoring her. Brendan was rubbing his head as Dawn looked as if she was scolding him.

Even though his target was May, his focus was Ash.

He had made sure to cover his scent thanks to a fragrance Sephiroth gave him, so Pikachu couldn't detect him as the kids walked below the tree and continued on.

Gary was slowly placing his hand on the handle of the sword on his back.

Then, his senses were triggered, and he took out the sword to strike at what was coming at him, but he was too late after Misty had charged at his gut and they both tumbled down the tree.

They hit the ground hard, making noise. Gary quickly sat up and listened after hearing the kids stop.

"What was that?" Dawn asked.

"Probably a Pokemon," said Brendan. "Let's keep going."

The kids walked on, and Gary sat where he was for a few more minutes. Then, his glare turned to the girl on the ground beside him.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" he said, trying his best to whisper. Misty sat up and rubbed her head.

"Stopping you."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm preventing you from killing innocent people for no reason."

"No reason?" said Gary, and he brought his face closer, making his glare have more of an effect on Misty.

"Didn't Sephiroth send you on a mission?" he asked.

"He did, but now I'm here."

They glared at each other, staying quiet. A long time had passed. They didn't say a word. They just stared.

Finally, Gary turned away and stood.

"You stay here."

"You're not going back to Ash and the others."

"And who are you to tell me that?"

"I'm telling you this because I care about you! You won't be satisfied by doing this."

"You better not get in the way," said Gary, and he proceeded to walk into the forest. "If you do, I won't hesitate if you get caught up in the crossfire."

He walked on, but he stopped immediately after hearing Misty's soft, calmed down voice.

"You don't have to do this. You don't have to walk this path the way my uncle is showing you. There are other ways. You still have time to change."

He paused, and then he walked in, and Misty was now standing alone. She was silent and still, and then she let out a sigh of relief.

_"I'm lucky to still be alive."_

She then turned serious and ran after Gary.

If he was so persistent in hurting them, then she'd be persistent in stopping him.

* * *

Gary was quickly trying to find the others again. It seemed that they had strayed off the path and were heading in a new direction.

_"If only Misty hadn't interfered, I would've had this job done already."_

He kept going until he got into a fork in the road. There was a narrow path left and right. The ground was completely covered in leaves, and many Pokemon walked past this area, so it was impossible to find them by tracking them down.

He took out a Pokeball and released Skarmory. The Pokemon screeched and extended its wings after being taken out of its Pokeball. It turned to Gary.

"Fly into the sky and report to me if you find any humans walking in this forest."

Skarmory nodded and soared up into the sky. As soon as it got up there though, a Scyther came from the forest and tackled Skarmory, sending the both of them down to the ground.

Gary looked on astonished, and then he quickly ran off in the direction of his Pokemon.

"Gary!"

He heard Misty calling out his name from behind.

Now his anger started reaching its peak.

_"If she keeps yelling like that, that Aura Guardian will know I'm in the area!"_

Misty must've been the one that released her newly caught Scyther to attack Skarmory. She was trying to sabotage his mission.

_"Like hell!"_

He finally got to the area the two Pokemon were in, battling it out while trying to get the other one down. He took out his sword.

_"I warned her!"_

He rushed to Scyther and delivered a high powered kick at its face, sending it deeper into the forest. Gary stood before his Skarmory, holding up his sword.

"Go. I'll take care of him."

Skarmory nodded, and it soared up into the air.

Scyther reacted quickly and used Air Slash to send sharp air at the Pokemon. Gary jumped and tore through the attack with his lightning covered blade. He then got on the ground and used lightning to launch him at Scyther. He elbowed it, and then delivered an uppercut within his lighting covered fist. This pushed Scyther back a little. Gary then moved and delivered lightning fast, lightning covered attacks at Scyther. Scyther couldn't try blocking or dodging him. Gary was just too fast.

Gary then moved behind Scyther and elbowed the Pokemon on the back of the head, sending it down forward. He then placed his hands together and released a surge of electricity on his arms over his head. He rammed the attack on Scyther's head, sending it to the ground hard, creating a large destructive wave that sent trees to the ground.

Gary got on the ground and looked at Scyther. The Pokemon struggled to speak, but then it stopped. It was now unconscious.

Gary looked around at the destruction he caused and groaned.

_"They must've heard that."_

He quickly ran into the forest. He had to find Ash and the others quickly before they exited the forest, or else he would fail his mission.

* * *

Gary's hand turned into a fist, shaking while staring at his Skarmory, unconscious, on the ground. It looked like it had gone into a battle, but it didn't seem too hurt. It was placed on a pile of leaves to make it comfortable.

_"What kind of joke is this?!"_

He knew that Misty must've been the one that had ONCE again sabotaged his mission. Without Skarmory, he would have an even difficult time finding Ash and the others.

"Pika."

He heard it once again, and his vision quickly turned to the source of the sound. Quickly, he created an electrical spear in his hand, and he tossed it in the direction of the sound, pushing and burning every tree that was in the area. A second later, an explosion was heard.

He quickly returned Skarmory and ran in that direction.

When he got there, he saw a whole spacious, blackened area. The trees were destroyed in the area, but there were no bodies. He had thrown it to strike the kids before they got any further, just so he could strike them down and get this done with quicker.

He looked around, and then a saw something burned in the distance. He walked over to it, and found a log on the ground, and when he flipped it over, a burned recording was attached to it, plus ears that resembled a Pikachu were attached to it as well.

"Gotcha!"

From the ground, a Psyduck broke from the burned leaves and raised its hands as its eyes turned purple. Gary had found himself rising up into the air, and his body wasn't listening to him. He was also covered in a purple aura. Psyduck was using Psychic.

Misty had now walked out from the forest with an angry look on her face.

"You should've been nicer to my Scyther," she said. "I was even nice enough to make a nice bed for your Skarmory. It was tough though. It took out my Gyarados, Starmie, and Staryu. Politoed barely beat it after it was weakened after battling. You should be thanking me for being nice."

Gary was only glaring at her, not saying a single word.

"Well...we're heading back to the island," Misty continued. "I know my uncle will be furious at me for disobeying his orders, but this was absolutely worth it. If it was worth to stop you, then I regret nothing."

Gary's teeth clenched, and then he began to speak.

"You..."

Misty's ears were all open.

"...just keep on finding ways to die."

A surge of lightning was released from his body all at once, causing Misty to cover her face with her arms. One bolt of electricity struck Psyduck, electrifying it to the point until it fell to the ground unconscious.

"Psyduck!" called out Misty.

Gary, who had now broken free, landed on the ground. Misty was about to notice him, but he had already appeared before her and took her by the collar. He rose her up into the air while holding on tightly, causing Misty to struggle at getting free from his grasp.

"Gary! Gary, let me down! Gary!"

His hand had went for his blade that was strapped to his back, and his fingers were tempted to grasp the handle and cut her down.

But something in the back of his mind forced him to think it over.

He quickly tossed Misty to the ground. She hit her head hard, causing a gash to form on her forehead as a stream of blood instantly came out. She touched her forehead to slow down the bleeding.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" yelled Gary as he turned to her. "This is my business, not yours. Stay the fuck out!"

"I can't just give up!" yelled Misty as she turned to him. "I won't stop until you quit doing this! I'm not going to allow you to do this! I'm going to help you change back!"

"You talk like you can save me."

"That's because I know I can," said Misty. "This is not you, and I'm going to make you realize it!"

Gary turned away from her.

"This is a path I chose," he said through his clenched teeth. "This is a path to help me get stronger! This is the only way to achieve that! After that, I'll-"

"You're just being a total dick!" yelled Misty. "You talk about being stronger, but all I'm seeing is senseless murders you're committing! You don't have to do this! You don't have to be this way! What would your grandfather think if he were to see you like this!?"

His eyes widened, and it slowly began to fill up with fury.

With a roar, a surge of electricity left his body, and it all headed for Misty.

It struck her, and she yelled out in pain before she was blown away toward a tree. She collided with the tree hard, and then she fell to the ground facing down. Her face was turned to Gary, and her eyes were open, but she was motionless.

Seeing her like that, Gary's furious face was replaced with horror.

He turned away and quickly ran into the forest.

He forced himself to believe she was unconscious.

She was, in fact, conscious but paralyzed. She wasn't paralyzed by the electricity that traveled within her. She was paralyzed with pain.

Every part of her body ached. She wanted to cry, but she didn't have time for it.

She started to rise up, but then she fell right back to the ground with her face buried within the burned leaves.

She heard footsteps nearing her. She believed it to be Gary.

"You really are one hell of an idiot, you know?"

Her eyes widened, for the person standing before her was her uncle, Sephiroth.

"He almost killed you," he continued. "You're lucky to even be alive right now. Well, that's what you get for interfering in the first place."

Misty hadn't spoken.

"I'm quite upset that you decided to willingly disobey me just so you help Gary, even when he didn't need your help. This was a big waste of your time and my time."

Misty's teeth were grinding against each other.

"You used to be a good girl, following orders and abiding by the rules. Now, you've just grown to become a nuisance. Tell me right now, why have you turned out this way?"

Misty refused to answer.

Sephiroth waited for her, and then sighed.

"I didn't need to hear your answer anyway."

He then went down on one knee to get closer to Misty.

"I'm not dumb," he said. "I saw you enter my room and steal that scroll. I've noticed your ways to prevent Gary from being alone with me. But you're wasting your time. Gary cannot be saved. The Gary you once knew that you could call your friend is no more. He is now someone who will do anything for power, no matter what's at stake. Your attempts to save him are foolish. Giving up now will only help you in the long run."

Misty's clenched fist hit the ground, and she used it to help her get her body up. Sephiroth watched, not stopping her in the slightest.

"Bullshit," he heard her say. "You just keep on spouting out bullshit."

She got to her legs getting up, but they wobbled about. Pain was still coursing through her body, but she endured it.

"There is still time to save Gary! You may think it's too late, but it isn't. I saw it with my own eyes! I saw that face he made after he struck me! It was fear, regret, and concern. He was worried that he might've killed me! The Gary you see is not like that! That's my Gary!"

She limped forward, heading in the direction Gary went.

Sephiroth stayed where he was, not turning to her.

"If he hurts you, don't be expecting me to be by your side."

"I'm not even counting on it."

Misty kept limping, and she finally got into the forest.

Sephiroth had said nothing.

* * *

Misty's body was still limping. Her body was in extreme pain, and her mind wasn't thinking clearly. She could fall at a drop of a dime. Her vision was getting hazy as well.

But the only thing that kept her going was Gary.

She was going to find him, and she was going to stop him.

She stopped after feeling the ground shake, forcing her to grab onto a tree. She then heard a large explosion, and from the area the explosion was from, she saw lightning and aura rise up into the sky, and then disappear.

Misty watched until the ground stopped shaking.

Her teeth were pushed tightly against each other, and her fingers held on to that tree tightly.

_"I'm too late," _she thought.

But this wasn't the end of it.

She pushed herself off the tree and limped quickly toward the battle, ignoring all the pain in her body.

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** On their way to leave Teakwook Forest, Ash and his friends are suddenly attacked by Gary. With no Misty to help them, Ash has to take this into his own hands, but how much does Gary have to act to make Ash believe he's really out for May's blood? How will this confrontation end, and what will Ash do about this problem with Gary? **Next Time: Blissful Ignorance.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Misty's attempts to help Gary is more and more difficult, but that doesn't stop her from trying. **

**I actually went on a haitus for Pokemon Heroes in December. I just didn't have the time for it. Now it's January (****by the way, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!), and I have plenty of time. To apologize, I will post a chapter every two days. I did them, but I just didn't proofread them, and they were so sloppy that I couldn't post them.**

**Also, my profile is now updated and the main spotlight is May. A ton of interesting info is on there about Pokemon Heroes, so go check it out!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 1,745) **


	13. Blissful Ignorance

**This is the one hundred forty-seventh chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Such a long wait for chapters, and I apologize for that. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Grunts, fists connecting with faces, and the cries of pain rang throughout that entire forest. Pain, anguish, and regret were evident on those boys' faces.

What started out as a normal day with the two boys arguing their asses off turned into a full on fight between Ash and Brendan. At some point, Dawn got involved in it as well.

And May and Pikachu were sitting on a large rock with smiles on their faces as they watched the whole thing go down.

Ash and Brendan's escalating argument made Dawn try her best to stop it. But right now, as May watched Ash and Brendan run for their lives while Dawn swung around that colossal ice sword made Dawn look like the biggest bully of them all.

"You guys done yet?" asked May, taking a bite out of the sandwich she had made with the ingredients within Brendan's backpack.

"May, those are for later!" said Dawn.

"I know, and I'm eating it now."

Ash then jumped onto the ice sword Dawn held. This irritated the girl, making her swung the sword down to crash Ash and the sword above him on the ground.

"Don't kill each other!" called out May.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful!" yelled Dawn, and she took Brendan by his hair and brought him into a chokehold while giving him a harsh noogie.

"Pika," said Pikachu, telling them to quit it. May pet it on the head and gave it a piece of her sandwich.

Now, Dawn was giving Brendan a noogie while also ramming her foot over and over again on Ash's head on the ground.

"Now what are you gonna say to me?!" she yelled.

"We're sorry!" they both yelled. "We surrender!"

"That's what I fucking thought."

**Blissful Ignorance**

* * *

The kids found themselves within Teakwook Forest. This was the shortest way toward Academia City. This forest is best known for having plenty of trees but not a lot of wild Pokemon, so this made it a bad place for catching Pokemon or training.

Right now, they were on a thin path. The path was only thin enough for a single file line. Ash was in front, and his friends were all behind him in order from May, Dawn, and Brendan. Brendan held his aching head after receiving Dawn's furious noogie.

"And when you want to talk about bunny girls in the most stupidest way possible, make sure you talk about that crap when May and I aren't there!" scolded Dawn.

"Aye," mumbled Brendan.

"Kiss my bunny ass," whispered Ash, and if Dawn was the one behind him, he would've already been dead.

"There's nothing we can do about it though," said May. "Boys will be boys. They may be thinking about bunny girls 24/7, but we will never know. Who knows, they might even think of us in bunny girl costumes."

Ash's mind opened up, and he saw the image of May, then saw her clothes getting replaced with a bunny girl costume. He then pictured the chest area, and saw nothing but flat.

His expression turned grim.

"Hey!" yelled May. "I saw that! Why did you make that face? Ash?!"

Ash ignored her.

He then noticed Pikachu on his shoulder looking around suspiciously.

"What's wrong?"

Pikachu sniffed a bit more, and then it stopped and shrugged, as if it gave up. Ash, not feeling to look into it more, just shrugged, and they kept walking as he felt fists being continuously thrown at his back by the girl behind him.

Then, they heard a loud thud from within the forest trees, and following that sound were the rustling of leaves.

They all stopped and turned. They stayed quiet as the leaves shook less and less. Then, the sound stopped.

"What was that?" asked Dawn.

"Probably a Pokemon," said Brendan. "Let's keep going."

They then started to move again. Ash turned to Pikachu.

"Do you still smell nothing out of the ordinary?"

Pikachu nodded.

* * *

They walked on for three more hours. They were taking wrong paths, resulting in them getting more and more lost. Ash had lost the compass they needed within this forest, so they had to follow a certain path. But this narrow path always split into many other paths and some others led to complete dead-ends.

"You know what," said Brendan after they reached yet another dead-end. "I think we should have a lunch break. I've got sandwiches."

"Yes," said May, reaching for Brendan's bag. She was stopped by Ash's hand that grabbed onto hers and pulled it up.

"Didn't you have yours while I was getting my ass kicked?"

May stared at him, and then shock filled her expression slowly.

Minutes later, everyone was eating sandwiches while May curled up into a ball near Ash.

Before Ash could give her a sandwich in pity, they heard metal crashing against something, releasing a very screeching noise that caused Dawn to fall backwards from the log she was sitting on.

Brendan stood and looked around.

"What the hell was that?"

Then, a powerful Hydro Pump burst toward the sky. Immediately, a Pokemon that was made of metal tore through the Hydro Pump with its steel wings, cutting it in half and destroying the attack. It then flew across the sky even faster.

"That's a Skarmory!" yelled Ash.

Another Hydro Pump came out of nowhere as well, but then that Skarmory that flew around the sky came crashing down on its attacker. They saw the Hydro Pump disappear after they heard a roar that sounded much like Gyarados.

The kids sat down for a few more minutes, waiting for another attack from another Pokemon, but they heard nothing. May got away from behind Ash and looked around.

"It's over?"

They then heard large trees crash to the ground hard. They flinched, hearing a body crash and knock down trees.

"Ash..."

Ash turned back to the girl behind him. He looked into her worried eyes and sighed.

"Brendan."

Ash had called out to the white haired boy, and he turned to Ash and nodded.

"Dawn, you stay here and protect May," Brendan ordered. "I'll go with Ash and find out what the fuck is going on over there."

"Alright, but come back safe," said Dawn. "I'll freeze your face if you come back late."

"Whatever."

After looking at Ash, the two boys started running inside the forest.

* * *

They saw destruction.

Trees were knocked down, destroyed ground rose up, and the atmosphere of battle was still lingering in the air.

Ash and Brendan slowly walked across this destroyed battlefield, trying to not fall over anything as they looked around carefully. Brendan proceeded to scratch the back of his head.

"What crazy shit went on over here?"

Ash looked at the destruction and then at Pikachu.

"Pokemon were fighting. The battle's over though."

"You think it involved that Skarmory?" asked Brendan.

"I bet," said Ash. "Just a normal Pokemon battle."

"This seems too gruesome for a Pokemon battle."

Ash saw that too, but as he kept taking looks at the electric mouse on his shoulder, the only response it gave was a shrug. It was just the shrug of confusion, as if it didn't know what was going on as well.

They stood within the wreckage for a while, and then Ash turned to Brendan.

"Let's head back."

* * *

Twenty minutes have passed since Ash and Brendan left. Dawn was standing guard, and May was munching on the leftover sandwiches Ash left behind.

"Where are they?" Dawn asked as she tapped her foot repeatedly.

"They'll be fine," said May after she finished the boy's lunch. "They should be back any second now."

"Alright then," said Dawn.

They stayed in peace now. May lied down after filling up her stomach until dinner, but the process of doing that caused her to drop Brendan's sandwiches to the ground.

"Whoops."

Dawn prepared to turn, but as soon she got to 90 degrees, she saw Gary suddenly appear next to her on one knee, coming in as fast as a spark.

Time felt as though it stopped, and there was nothing for that first two seconds.

Then, out of shock, Dawn reacted fast and placed her palm on her hand, creating a blue light, and forming a large, icy hammer. She swung it at Gary, but all the boy had to do was elbow it, destroying it completely. He then launched up to her collar, took it, and swung her over to the ground away from him.

He then quickly turned to May, who was in the process of sitting up. She didn't have time to do anything because Gary had already took her by the back of her shirt and held her in the air.

"I'll just finish with you, and then go for what I'm really here for."

He said this with no emotion, and May saw him moving his sword into a position so that he could directly pierce his stomach.

"W-What?" was the only words that escaped her mouth.

Gary moved the sword forward, but then he quickly moved aside as a powerful Aura Breath brushed past him. He quickly threw May to the ground and prepared his blade, and then he turned to the boy he was searching for this whole time.

"Gary!" yelled Ash, and he ran at the boy to punch him. Gary moved backwards at every punch Ash threw. When the opening was clear, the boy punched him right on the face, sending him to the ground. Ash held his face and looked back at Gary, Brendan came out of the forest and immediately ran for Dawn.

"You alright?" he asked as he helped her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"Gary came out of nowhere and attacked us. He was aiming his sword dangerously at May, too."

"Again," said Brendan in a low voice.

He turned to Gary, who was pointing his sword at all three of them. Brendan let his teeth grind and stood.

"I'm getting answers right now," said Brendan. "We have to kick his ass together!"

"Hell no!" yelled Ash, and he got back up and dashed at Gary. "This one's mine!"

"Ash! We don't have no time for rivalry! This is serious!"

"I'm hella serious!"

Ash materialized his Aura Blade within his hand. He swung it at Gary, and the two metallic weapons collided. Ash struck over and over and over again, but Gary parried all of them.

"Put that sword down and fight me fist-to-fist!"

Ash swung his Aura Blade downward, pushing Gary's sword lower to leave him open. Aura engulfed the boy's fist, and he launched it toward Gary. Gary's hand went in front of his face, and it held the fist that was supposed to hit him. A large shockwave resulted from the attack. He then used the bottom of his sword to hit Ash on his side. When Ash was off guard, Gary released his hand holding Ash's fist and then engulfed his own fist in lightning, and he punched Ash across the face, sending the boy on the ground as he skidded toward a tree. His back hit it, and he lied on the ground.

"Ash, you alright?" asked May, and she was already running toward him.

Gary extended out his hand and shot out a bolt of lightning right at her. Dawn placed her hands on the ground and created an ice wall to block the attack, but Gary's power destroyed the wall, knocking them to the ground.

"Hey!" yelled Ash. "Your fight is with me, dammit!"

He created an Aura Sphere and launched himself at Gary, bringing down the ball of spiraling aura on the boy. Gary moved back and took Ash's hand. He elbowed Ash on his face, resulting in making the ball on his hand disappear. He then lifted Ash and proceeded to flip him over and ram him on the ground. He picked Ash up again and knocked him to the ground on the other side. He proceeded to do this over and over again.

The final time he rammed Ash to the ground, he moved back and summoned a lightning bolt to come from the clear sky and strike Ash, electrocuting him. Gary turned back to May as he heard Ash yell in pain. When it stopped, Ash's body twitched.

"You son of a bitch!" said Brendan, and then his eyes turned emerald-green. He ran at full speed toward Gary. He threw his iron hard fist toward Gary's face. Gary moved aside, and then he threw lightning fast punches at Brendan. Brendan fell to the ground. He rolled to the side before Gary's foot crashed down on him. When he looked at Gary's foot, he saw it in the ground, up to the boy's ankle. When he looked up at Gary, the boy had already summoned a lightning bolt to crash down on Brendan. He yelled in pain, and when it was over, he twitched.

"Brendan!" Dawn yelled. She placed her fist on her palm, but then she saw Brendan's hand raise slowly.

"D-Don't..." said Brendan. "He's...not holding back."

Dawn felt a shiver. She still didn't remove her battle posture. May stood behind her. Gary looked at her.

"Yeah, Dawn..."

Gary turned to Ash, who was getting up. He then looked at Gary and smirked.

"He's not holding back. That means much more of a win to me if I kick his bitchy ass!"

Gary turned and charged at Ash.

Ash's aura covered fist came up and collided with his face when he got close enough. Gary quickly regained his balance and kneed Ash. Air left his lungs.

Gary cupped his hands together over his head and crashed it down on Ash's, sending him to the ground. He then kicked Ash with his leg covered in lightning, making Ash spiral around in the air.

The Aura Guardian landed on his feet. He looked up and already saw Gary in front of him. He moved his arms to cover his head, and Gary threw punches, hitting Ash's defense. When Ash saw an opening, his aura covered knee uppercutted Gary. He then created an Aura Sphere and crashed it against Gary's stomach. The boy was sent back as the ball on his gut prepared to explode, but suddenly, he disappeared, and the Aura Sphere crashed into the forest and exploded.

Ash looked up and saw Gary in the sky, with both of his arms covered in electricity.

"That's what I'm talking about!" yelled Ash, and both of his arms were engulfed in aura. Gary came down on the ground and charged at Ash, and the boy ran at him. Their fists collided, and then they threw punches over and over again, connecting their powers and causing huge explosions that sent aura and lightning into the sky.

Gary found an opening and crashed his fist on Ash's stomach, sending him back. He then sent dangerous currents of electricity toward the boy. Ash retaliated by shooting out his Aura Breath, destroying the electricity that was coming to him.

Gary ran at him with his sword. Ash's Aura Blade returned to his hand, and their weapons clashed once more. Gary's sword was covered in lightning, and he moved at a fast pace, swinging his blade multiple times to strike down Ash, who was struggling to block them all.

Then, which only happened in a second, his sword released a burst of electricity that almost blinded Ash. Gary swung his even more powerful sword at Ash, but he luckily held his Aura Blade in a place so that he blocked it.

This resulted in a large, destructive explosion that almost blew the other kids down, but the trees were easily pulled out of their roots.

Smoke surrounded Gary, and he looked around for Ash. He heard the sound of burned leaved getting crushed beneath someone's foot behind him, and when he turned, he saw Ash coming at him with his aura covered fist. Blood was coming from his hand that went bare because the glove that covered it was burned off.

Gary ducked as Ash's fist went over his head, and he directed a powerful punch into Ash's gut. The force of it was heavy, and his insides screamed out in pain.

He yelled and fell to the ground while holding his stomach. His Aura Blade de-materialized by him.

"Y-You cheap son of a-"

His head was pushed to the ground after Gary's foot stomped on it.

The smoke cleared up finally, and Dawn and May looked over at the fight. Brendan, who was still recovering from his fight, looked up as well, and saw the conclusion.

Gary then lifted his sword and positioned it to pierce right through Ash's head.

"That's it!" yelled Dawn, and she placed her fist on her palm, and then sent out icy lances toward Gary. Gary's power destroyed them without him looking.

But that was only a distraction, because Brendan had appeared before him and slammed his iron hard fist into the boy's face, pushing him away from Ash. Dawn stood by Brendan, and they both glared at Gary, who was wiping the blood that fell from his mouth.

Ash looked up and saw his friends, and rather than gratitude, anger covered his expression.

"What the hell is wrong with your damn ears! I said this bastard was mine! Get your own!"

"Are you freaking serious?" asked Brendan. "He was prepared to kill you without remorse."

"I was gonna kill him, too! Just in case you haven't noticed, that's what we do around here!"

Gary looked back at them. Brendan and Dawn stood in his way, and he didn't care less about them. Ash was behind them, and May was off to the side, watching the whole thing go down.

_"I want to finish her first, and then take down Ash, or vice versa," _he thought. _"I have no business with them. Fighting them will only prolong time, and I'll be too late before Sephiroth sends me back. I should just take them all down at once. Ash might survive it. The others won't..."_

He then positioned himself, and the kids guarding Ash got ready.

_"...but that's fine by me."_

A whole surge of yellow lightning surrounded Gary in that instant. Gary held up his hand, and a large electrical spear started to form. It was much larger than the one he threw before. May covered her eyes. Winds were getting fiercer.

Ash broke out from behind his friends and went toward his target.

"Ash!" yelled Brendan.

"What are you doing?!" yelled Dawn.

"Come at me, asshole!"

Ash yelled this at the top of his lungs, and he pulled his fist back.

Gary positioned himself to throw it. The attack would strike Ash and the explosion would engulf his friends.

Before he could, a certain girl broke through the trees.

"Gary!"

Gary moved his head toward the sound, and saw Misty limping quickly toward him.

_"She's alive?!"_

Ash's fist connected with his face, and he was thrown back. His attack disappeared immediately. He stopped wobbling and turned to Misty, who had fell to the ground on her knees.

"Misty!" called out May, and she was already running toward the injured girl.

Gary looked over at Ash, and saw the boy smirking while cracking his knuckles, with a smug smirk on his face. Gary glared at him.

_"It's time to return, Gary."_

Sephiroth's voice that was coming from the earpiece made him grim. He was too late. Any further attempts to fight would cause Sephiroth to be angry, and he wasn't a peaceful man when he was angry.

_"Bring back Misty as well. It turns out, she left the island to follow you. Such a bad girl. Don't worry, you'll have your chance to beat Ketchum, just not now, alright?"_

_"Fuck," _thought Gary, and then he placed his sword back in its sheath.

"You're finally gonna start fighting me hand-to-hand, huh?!" yelled Ash, and he ran toward Gary to throw a punch. Gary jumped into the air and did a back-flip before landing on the ground. Then, he sped toward Misty at an amazing speed, got her, and then jumped into the trees within the forest.

It took Ash a little while to understand what happened.

"What the fuck, man?! That was unexpected! What is wrong with you lately?! We fight until one of us falls, dammit!"

He heard no answer. He sighed and fell to the ground on his knees. His body still ached, and his hand needed to be bandaged up. Now he needed a new glove.

Brendan and Dawn walked toward him.

"Ash," said Dawn after she crossed her arms. "This is the second time now. Something's going on."

"What's going on?" asked Ash, and he got up on his feet and turned to them.

"Gary!" said Brendan. "The dude attacked us again! He was out for May's blood! Did you not see any of that?"

"Seemed the same to me."

"How?!" asked Dawn. "You know something's wrong with him, Ash! We have to do something about it, or else it might get worse."

"What might get worse?"

"Are you trying to avoid it?" asked Brendan.

Ash was annoyed now.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," he said. "That was the same Gary, and that is the Gary that I'll beat the fuck out of. He must've hit you guys really hard."

"Ash, this isn't a game," said Dawn. "What if he comes back?"

"Then I'll beat the crap out of him."

Dawn was ready to argue, but then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw May, looking at Ash with a smile.

"He's right, guys," said May. "There was nothing wrong with him. It was just a simple fight between boys. I told you before, Dawn. Boys will be boys, and there is nothing much we can do about it."

Dawn and Brendan looked at her astonished.

"Exactly," said Ash. He got Pikachu on his shoulder and then turned around. "Let's get out of this forest. I need my hand bandaged, too. It hurts like hell."

He walked on.

Dawn and Brendan's heads were still on May. As Ash got further, her smile slowly diminished into a frown.

"You see it, too, don't you?" asked Dawn.

May slowly nodded.

"Yeah, and I know Ash knows it, too."

"Then why won't he admit it?" asked Brendan.

"Because Ash is trying to avoid it," said May, and her eyes focused on the boy talking to his Pikachu.

"He doesn't want to go through that experience once again."

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** The kids enter Academia City, and trouble already starts up again. The face of the man that was pushed into the back of Brendan's memories return to haunt him once again, and it returns in an unexpected way. What is this weird turn of events, and how will Brendan once again break though the pain he felt for all those years? **Next Time: Return of the Forgotten Face.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. I made this chapter right after the last one, so that's why I didn't say much about my lateness on the last one. I just feel like a huge jerk, going on a month hiatus without telling everyone. I didn't even write anything on my profile, and I apologize. Anyway, the main plot of this season is starting to pick up, with Ash slowly realizing what is going on. Next couple of chapters will focus on Brendan and Dawn. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 1,893)**


	14. Return of the Forgotten Face

**This is the one hundred forty-eighth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Brendan and Dawn are the main characters in this mini arc, and an old enemy is to return (kind of). Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

The city was in the distance. They saw the large buildings and loved seeing the beautiful, glistening ocean that was flowing beneath their feet while walking on that large bridge. Cars drove back and forth from the city. There was not a cloud in the sky, making this a perfect day.

"When we enter, the Pokemon Center should be at least twenty minutes from where we'll be," said Brendan. "We should take a break there for at least two nights, and then get going."

"There's a Pokemon Gym there, right?" asked Ash.

"Hell yeah."

"Is battling the only things you guys think about?" asked Dawn.

"We also think about bunny girls," mocked Ash, but in a low whisper, but he was aiming for Dawn to hear.

"You wanna swim over there?"

"Speaking of swimming, I heard there's a water park open now over there," said May. "You are gonna bring me there, right Ash?"

_"Why do I feel like I'm being threatened?" _he thought, and he slowly nodded.

"We should be near the city's limit," said Brendan. "This is the only way in and out of the city. We're only going there to stop for supplies."

"I hear this city is heavily guarded by The League of Knights," said Dawn. "Why so?"

"This place is supposed to hold many of the technology that are distributed throughout Ransei. This is also the place where there's a port to trade things with other regions. It's like Ransei's trading center, and people who want to attack may aim here. You can easily get into trouble, so while we're there, none of you are to think about causing any type of trouble. And I mean any!"

"Come on, Brendan, I'm not that type of person," said Ash, but he was once again giving them that obnoxious sarcastic tone and smirking.

He now had to swim over there. May luck be on his side so he doesn't get accused of sneaking into the city.

**Return of the Forgotten Face**

* * *

After being let into the city, they were amazed at how busy-like it was. Cars were crowding the streets, and large buildings and advertisement signs hung all over the place. They could see the port to the north, seeing large Ransei ships coming in and out from it. The streets were crowded, and vendors called out for customers to buy their products. It was also clean. There was high tech cleaning robots that detected trash and threw them away themselves. It also fined the people it sees littering.

Policemen were guarding the city as well, some of them being Knights disguised to watch for any intruders.

After getting Ash from the police station and luckily avoiding them from calling his mom, who would've just gotten a heart attack realizing that her son has become a "delinquent", they headed for the Pokemon Center.

Understanding the security in the city, Ash walked like a solider, looking like he was normal, but all that did was embarrass him and his friends at the same time.

After so long, they reached the large Pokemon Center, which was built with three floors. They entered the large lobby, and waiting a while, they found a spare room. They took the usual: a room with two bunk beds.

When they opened the door to their room, all that was different was that the room was larger.

"I was expecting more luxury," sighed Dawn.

"Better ones cost money," said Brendan. "We won't be here for long."

May jumped onto the bottom bunk on the right.

"Even the beds feel the same."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna be sleeping today," said Ash. "Wake me up when dinner's ready."

Ash walked over to the same bunk bed and proceeded to climb up to his bed on top, but May grabbed onto his leg.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I was prepared to sleep."

"This is your bed."

"Why?"

"It's harder for me to climb up there in the middle of the night if you're going there."

Ash knew what she was talking about, and there was no need to question it. He went on the bottom bunk and lied down behind May.

"Why don't you ever sleep with me?" asked Brendan, turning to Dawn while walking toward his bed. If he hadn't moved, his balls would've been destroyed.

When Brendan got to the bed, he looked like he was pulling down something from his shoulders, but stopped. Seconds past, and shock was evident on his face.

"I left my backpack at the police station."

"How the hell can you fuck up like that?" asked Ash. "Even I don't fuck up like that."

"If you've got something to say, say it to my face."

"I can't. I'm tired."

Brendan sighed and prepared to walk out the door.

"I should be back within an hour," he said. "Don't cause trouble while I'm done."

"I'll watch over Ash," said Dawn.

"Why am I singled out?"

Brendan then walked out. He exited the Pokemon Center, and walked down the steps toward the police station. He didn't remember where it was, so he brought a map of the city with him, but this map was confusing.

He walked within the crowd of people. The only way to single him out was by looking at his white hair.

From on top of a building, without using binoculars or anything, someone sat at the edge, staring at that white hair. This person too had white spiky hair that flowed down to their back.

That person singled Brendan out, and that certain person made a smirk, a smirk that would bring back so many memories to that kid.

* * *

Ash, May, and Dawn were playing some kind of card game while they all sat on the boy's bed. They had found the cards from within a drawer that was stationed in that room. At first, the girls played, but they then forced Ash into playing as well, making him lose his opportunity to sleep. Cards were stacked on the middle of the bed.

Ash stared at the cards in his hands with confusion.

"Um...checkmate."

"Ash, that's not the game we're playing," said May, and she placed another card on the stack.

Dawn looked over at the digital clock on that certain drawer. An hour and a half had passed since Brendan left.

"He said he was going to be here in an hour."

"Maybe he got lost," said Ash, and he picked a card and placed it on the pile. "It is a large city."

Dawn looked at the card he placed.

"You can't put it there."

"What? Then how is this game supposed to make sense?"

"You can try putting that one," said May as she looked over at Ash's cards.

"Oh, thanks May. Wait a sec...you just looked at my cards?"

Dawn looked back at the clock.

"You think I should go out and look for him?"

"I don't think you should," said Ash, and he picked a card from his hand. "You might get lost, too. We'd have to go searching for you, then."

Ash slowly moved the card to the pile, and when the girls gave their nod of approval, he placed it on top.

Dawn looked back at the clock.

"Hey, Pikachu, you've got Brendan's scent, right?"

"Pika!"

"Then I'll be taking Pikachu."

"But Pikachu," said Ash as May prepared to point at the card she wanted from his hand. "are you sure you want to go and hang out with Dawn, or would you rather watch your best friend kick ass at this game?"

Pikachu was already on Dawn's shoulder after she left the bed and was now putting her boots on.

May chose the card she wanted, and when she looked at it, she squealed with joy and threw the cards up in the air while falling back. Ash dropped his cards and looked away.

"I hated this game anyway."

Dawn headed for the door now.

"I'll be back. I've got my Pokemon and Pikachu with me, so I'll be fine. If Brendan comes back before me, tell him I went out to check out a store."

"Alright!" squealed May, who was still overjoyed about winning the game.

Dawn opened the door and left. She closed it behind her and took out the key to lock it.

"So...we're alone," she heard May say slyly. "What do you want to do now?"

"Sleep."

"Nope. I've got an even better idea."

Dawn nervously chuckled, and then left.

* * *

The sun was down, and night fell on that city. Buildings lit up the night, and cars with their headlights on sped past better and spacious roads. The crowded people on the sidewalks had also decreased. The noise hadn't decreased though, and the same amount of excitement mirrored the feeling during the day.

But Dawn wasn't walking within the city's bustling atmosphere.

She instead was walking on the boring side of the city.

This part of the city had many abandoned buildings, a garbage dump, and it was far more quiet. This part could be considered the dark side of the city. Gangs walked around at this time, so it was dangerous to be walking alone.

Because Pikachu couldn't completely track down Brendan's scent due to the large amount of things and people in the city, it could only bring Dawn into the vicinity of where he was.

"Why-why the hell would Brendan even be hanging around this part of the city?" asked Dawn. "Are you sure it's him?"

Pikachu nodded, and then it tried tracking him down again.

It's eyes widened, and it looked up.

"Pika!"

Dawn followed its gaze, and her eyes widened when she saw him.

But he was not alone.

High above the air away from them, almost like they were flying, Dawn was fighting against someone.

"W-What?" said Dawn, only being able to let out those words.

She saw Brendan throw a punch, but that certain person moved to the side and punch Brendan on his gut hard, and Dawn could feel the pain that must've been coursing through that boy's body. She then saw the mysterious figure grab Brendan's foot, inhumanly spun around in the middle of the air at a fast speed, and then toss Brendan toward a building's brick wall, breaking through it. Then in midair, Dawn saw that person place their foot on something, like how a foot positions itself when you're about to propel yourself from a wall, and then launch right at Brendan. Dawn saw smoke coming from the hole on the side of the building.

She wobbled about, but then stood up straight so that she wouldn't fall. Before jumping, Dawn saw the white spiky hair. She placed her hand on her face and took deep breaths.

_"What am I thinking? It couldn't be...there's just no way."_

Dawn looked toward the building, and then she broke into a run toward it.

* * *

Brendan moved his legs frantically while touching his back, feeling the sensation of the intense pain that coursed throughout his entire body. The room he was thrown toward had collapsed and metals and debris were everywhere. Dust covered his clothes.

He slowly sat up while the pain soothed down, and then he looked around. His emerald green eyes were fiercely looking for his opponent. He forced himself to stand. He felt like falling, but if he did, that would mean certain death.

"My, my, what a persistent boy."

Brendan's ears felt like curling up, hearing that damn sound.

"I can't believe it. Someone like you having that type of power. It makes me sick to my stomach."

Brendan moved back, but then he felt hands touch his shoulders.

"So sick it makes me want to throw up."

He was viciously thrown toward the wall. He broke through it, but he got to his feet quickly, and raced toward his foe. He threw his iron hard fist, but there was no one there.

"It even seems like you haven't mastered it yet. Such a shame. A powerful power gone to waste."

"My father passed this down to me!" yelled Brendan.

"I wonder if he feels completely sorry now."

Brendan's fists angrily crashed down on the ground, destroying the floor and the walls of the building. By making his body slick and sticky thanks to Marshstomp's power, Brendan placed his foot on a piece of falling debris as he fell and launched himself back up to that floor.

Now that the wall were broken, Brendan could see what was going on with the little light he got back.

But when he got up there, he still found nobody.

"Such a shame. Such a shame, indeed."

An uppercut caused a tooth to be knocked out from his mouth. He was launched upward, and he broke through the ceilings of many floors until he flew up into the night sky. He then crashed down against an iron pole and gave out a painful yell.

He fell to the ground shaking with pain. Unlike Ash, his body still wasn't completely ready for battle yet. If he hadn't caused his back to be iron hard every time he crashed against something, he would've already been dead, but his power can't prevent all of the pain.

He heard footsteps.

He rolled aside before a foot crashed on his head. He looked up and readied his fist to strike his foe.

Only that smile caused his focus to break, and his fist missed the face.

"The fuck is wrong with you?"

A knee collided with Brendan's gut, and then a hand forcibly held onto his neck. Their faces were brought closer together, and Brendan looked into those completely yellow eyes.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Like a doll, he was flung to the ground. Brendan rolled around on the floor until he came to a stop. He wanted to stay down, not having the slightest bit of energy to stand back up.

When he found that energy, his arms helped his upper body get up. Blood was falling from his mouth. He just didn't have to energy to quit.

He just couldn't quit.

He placed his hand on his knee and tried getting out but stopped when he saw that person standing over him. The person was shaking the aching hand that had thrown the boy.

"I have to admit, though, you do have some guts. I understand why he was so interested in you now."

The shaking hand turned into a fist, and then it crashed down on the boy's head. He fell to the ground and cracks formed below him. Brendan grabbed onto that person's ankle.

"Fuck you!" he yelled, and he used his strength to take the ankle and knock that person to the ground. He then rolled to the side and took one of the steel pipes that lay on the ground near them. He took it and crashed it against that person. That person had gotten up already and didn't even think about moving while the steel pipe was coming.

The only defense used was just by pulling an arm up, and the steel pipeline had broken into many pieces. Brendan, shocked, turned to strike with the sharp end of the pipeline, but it was already grabbed and ripped from Brendan's hands. It was taken and spun around on that person's hand.

"Is this all you've got, son of a bitch!"

It was then brought down on Brendan. He used Pelipper's power and jumped out of the way. While he was in the air, he crashed down on the pipeline, destroying it completely. He prepared to fight his enemy, but his enemy had already appeared in his face, punching him and pushing him back. He wiped the blood from his face and threw a fist at his enemy and it connected.

But his enemy didn't seem much affected by the attack though. Only that hated smile was present.

"What's wrong?! That didn't pack as much power as before! You're done in already?! ARE YOU?!"

That person punched him across the face again, and he punched that person. They punched each other over and over. Brendan's eyes were filled with rage, and that person was filled with crazy happiness.

She punched him for the twentieth time, and he fell to the gerund. He was breathing heavily, and he didn't have the strength to get back up.

That person stared at him, and then smirked.

"That's it then, huh?"

The slightest noise caused that person to jump out of the way as ice arrows and a thunderbolt rushed past her. That person landed one foot on a tiny piece of metal and looked at the attacker. Brendan forced himself to look up, and then his eyes widened.

_"Shit!"_

"Who the hell are you supposed to be, young lady?"

Dawn stared at her enemy with rage. This was the person who hurt Brendan in the past and now. She wasn't going to let it continue anymore. She was sure that Brendan ended his life, but him being here right now disproved that.

The bounty hunter looked the same. He still had on that gray jumpsuit with long sleeves. The skin was painted with white and blue lines. He still had those yellow eyes.

Dawn knew that this person was none other than Lee, the bounty hunter that killed Brendan's father and caused him pain.

_"I won't allow you to get away this time!" _Dawn thought. _"I'll beat you to the ground myself you..."_

Then she noticed the chest area.

It was larger, and it was evident that this person was not wearing a bra or a t-shirt, so if you removed that jumpsuit, that person would be completely naked. Dawn had also noticed that this person was taller as well. The hourglass figure also made it evident that this was not a male.

It was a woman.

_"Wait, what the hell..."_

"What's wrong?" asked the woman. "You're giving me that same expression that kid gave me when we saw each other."

_"Sh-She's a woman! This isn't that bounty hunter!"_

"Dawn, run!" yelled Brendan as he quickly got up. "I'll hold her off for you to go!"

_"But-"_

Brendan had already gotten up, and he was running at the woman to punch her.

"You still have energy to fight?" she asked. She deflected a punch from Brendan with her palm, and then rose her other fist and rammed it against Brendan's face. The boy was stumbling back, but he straightened up and went for another punch.

Dawn froze. She watched Brendan throw every punch, only to be blocked, and then he was punched across the face. Dawn couldn't bare to watch the blood that fell from his face, but she couldn't do anything. Confusion clouded her mind completely. She didn't know what to do or say.

"Dawn, I said run!" he yelled, and then a fist was swung downward, knocking his body downward, but he didn't fall, because he placed his foot in a way to let him propel himself at his enemy, head-butting the woman.

"Getting serious now?"

"I'm always serious!" yelled Brendan, and then he threw fast punches by using the powers of his Mightyena and Shiftry. The woman was taking all these hits with a smile.

When Brendan was done, she moved back, but she didn't fall. She straightened up and smirked at him.

"Can I have a turn now?"

She then proceeded to do the same thing to Brendan. Dawn watched in horror as Brendan fell to the ground. His breathing was slow, and blood now fell from his forehead. He looked a step away from being completely unconscious.

_"That's it!"_

Dawn let the ice bow and arrows crumble, and then she placed her fist on her palm and molded two ice swords on each hand. She ran at the woman and swung one, but the woman got out of the way. Dawn swung the next one, but the woman dodged it as well. She jumped away and stood at the edge of the roof with her back toward the streets below.

"Why bring a weapon to a fist fight?" she asked. "That's just unfair."

"Who the hell are you?" asked Dawn.

"Me? You wanna know who I am? You're the third person I've met who's asked me that, and the second today. That boy beat you to it. My name is Chun-Li, and I am apart of the Tenrou Clan. My goal is to obtain The White Inheritance, the power that boy holds. I have to kill him to do that though."

_"I-It's the same as Lee," _thought Brendan, and his cloudy vision focused on Chun-Li.

"I must understand why you guys are looking at me like that, though," she said with a smirk while she rose her hands. "You must've already met up with Lee. You must be shocked to see the shocking similarities between us. This is no coincidence, for Lee was my older brother!"

Shock shook Brendan's body on the ground. His mouth was open, he was wide eyed, and he was just staring at the sky. His breathing quickened as well.

Dawn noticed this, and she felt herself shaking as well.

"This fight has become personal, actually," said Chun-Li. "I didn't just come for The White Inheritance. I also came to avenge my brother. We know you killed him and Riku. I can't just let you go by murdering my own flesh and blood, right?"

"He tried to kill us!" yelled Dawn.

"Doesn't matter," said Chun-Li. "This is revenge."

She then laughed. It was the same laugh Lee gave to him all the time. It made Brendan grind his teeth together.

"Then do it."

Chun-Li stopped and looked back at Brendan. Dawn turned and saw Brendan getting back up, even though he was struggling.

"Kill me. Just try and kill me. But just remember: I WON'T JUST LET YOU! I'm not going to throw away my life even when so many people helped me live it! Just try and kill me, but I'll be the one beating you down first!"

Chun-Li smirked, and then she turned around.

"Too bad," she said, "but I can't do it right now."

Brendan fell on his stomach. Dawn crumbled up the ice swords and ran to Brendan to check if he was okay. He was still breathing hard.

"I'll admit it," continued Chun-Li. "I charged at you without thinking. I knew you were gonna be in this city. I was to attack you tomorrow at 4:15 PM. I then saw you and was like, why not just tussle with you for a while? I did take it too far, though. I was just having too much fun. Ha!"

"Get over here and fight me!" yelled Brendan, struggling to speak. His eye color was slowly going back to normal.

"I can't. I need something first. I kind of...forgot it. My mistake. So you get to dream for another night. I'll see ya tomorrow. Don't think about leaving though. I'm only here for you. The others I can't give two shits about. As long as you don't run, I won't kill them. If you do, I'll find you guys and kill you all."

"I won't...run."

"Good."

She gave a peace sign without turning back.

"Bye."

She then jumped off the roof. They knew that she didn't die from that.

They were now quiet. They didn't say anything. They were just quiet. The only thing that they heard was the wind and Brendan's heavy breathing and grunts. He tried getting up, but he fell. Dawn just stared at him.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked.

Brendan stopped and looked at her, and he gave a happy smirk.

"I'm gonna kick her ass. I don't plan to kill her though."

He used his arms to get up again, and he didn't fall this time.

"In order to create my future, I have to shatter every bit of that past."

* * *

Chun-Li jumped out into the broken, open window.

This was her hideout for now. It was just an abandoned building.

She went toward the broken desk that was there. She pushed it aside, and there was a silver colored suitcase with wheels and a handle. She stared at it and smirked.

_"No, this is not for the Tenrou Clan or my brother."_

She pushed the desk back in front of the suitcase.

_"The White Inheritance will be mine, and mine alone."_

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** There is no easy way to reach happiness, and Dawn wants her friends to smile forever, but that seems like a far fetched dream. The sadness and guilt Brendan experienced haunts her mind, and with her power, she swears for it never to happen again. How will the kids deal with this new threat, and what does Dawn plan to do about it? **Next Time: Undying Happiness.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. The Tenrou Clan returns once again to cause problems, and Brendan will have to fight once again to keep his power. Now that Dawn has powers now, she will be a important in this arc as well. I just want to showcase her power since she just got it, and I love writing about it. I hope you all had a nice Christmas and continue to have nice ones in the future. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 2,045) **


	15. Undying Happiness

**This is the one hundred forty-ninth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. I've finished the five chapters now and three have been posted so far, so only two more to go. Remember that one will be posted every two days. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Flashback

_"I should be back within an hour," Brendan said as he opened the door that led out of their room. "Don't cause trouble while I'm done."_

_"I'll watch over Ash," said Dawn._

_"Why am I singled out?"_

_After looking back one more time, Brendan stepped out of the room and into the hallway. He made his way down the stairs, and then he casually placed both hands in his pocket. He pulled out a small packet and looked through the pages until he found a zoomed-in picture of Academia City. Due to the complexity of the city, the many different streets and locations on the map confused Brendan's brain._

_"What the hell is this?" he thought. He walked into the crowd of people on the sidewalks. He kept his eyes focused on the map while trying his best to dodge the people._

_His eyes finally found the police station and where he was, and then he nodded._

_"Alright, then I'll be back by an hour," he thought once again._

_He still kept his eyes on the map, but on the corner of his eye, he saw someone walk in the opposite direction._

_That person was wearing a trench coat that covered the body. A large hat sat on the head. Sunglasses rested on the eyes._

_Brendan's eye could see the white, spiky hair released onto the shoulders._

_But what caught his attention the most was the smile on that person's face. It was the smile that scarred him for so long._

_He stopped and turned back, and the person he saw was gone. He stood still until he felt a man bump into him and call him "a fucking brat"._

_He shook his head to get the image out, and then he made a smile._

_"I've got to get my backpack first."_

**Undying Happiness**

* * *

_"Thanks, and don't worry. I'll be watching over Ash."_

_Brendan walked out of the police station. He placed his backpack on his back and sighed._

_"I should pick up supplies before heading back."_

_He walked on his path back to the Pokemon Center. He then felt the presence of stern eyes on his back. He turned around quickly and saw no one suspicious._

_Something was weird, and everything felt strange. The atmosphere was quiet. The people that walked back and forth around him were loud, but their voices felt blocked out. He couldn't hear anything,_

_"Hey there, pretty boy."_

_"You did not just call me pretty," said Brendan, and he turned forward and saw no one suspicious once again._

_"It would be good to give some advice to a youngster like you. There are a lot of people in this world who'd do horrible things to people, and no one knows when they might strike. So remember this: always watch your back!"_

_Brendan looked above and saw someone coming down at him as is they just jumped off a building. He turned his eyes emerald green and then jumped, kicking that person on the gut. Brendan heard a grunt come from the person's mouth. He also heard the people around him scream and take out their phones to watch this all go down._

_"You idiot!" Brendan yelled. "There's people here!"_

_Then he swung his other foot on the person's side, sending the body through a display window. Brendan landed on the ground and turned to the people._

_"Get the hell out of here!" he yelled. He then turned back and saw the person sit up and scratch the back of the head. The hat had fallen off. Brendan saw this person shake the white, spiky hair around. Then, this person stood._

_"You fucker."_

_This person stretched her neck around._

_"I saw this guy before," thought Brendan._

_This person turned to him, and Brendan held his fists up._

_"You don't just kick people in the sky, bastard!"_

_"And you don't jump off a damn roof and try body slamming somebody, retard!"_

_"I have my reasons!"_

_"Shut up! What do you want from me?!"_

_A hand went to the sunglasses on their face, and when it was removed, Brendan saw that the eyes were yellow. A smirk then formed. This smirk shook Brendan._

_"I came here to kill you."_

_"Lee?!" Brendan thought, but then he saw that the chest was bigger, this person was taller, and after removing the trench coat, Brendan saw that gray jumpsuit that covered that hourglass body. This was a woman._

_"This isn't Lee," thought Brendan, and his mind calmed down a bit. He looked around at the people watching, and then he proceeded to grind his teeth._

_"I've got to get the hell out of here!" he thought, and then he turned and broke through the crowd of people and started running._

_"What the hell?!" he heard her yell. "Get your ass back here, you pussy!"_

_He used Mightyena's speed to run fast, and he used Marshstomp's stickiness and Pelipper soaring to jump over people and avoid the police. He also saw the police cars racing toward the place he was before._

_"I have no idea who the hell this bitch is, but I don't appreciate getting told I was gonna get killed!" he yelled while running. He had to find a quiet and peaceful place to take care of her. On the map he saw, he noticed that the other side of the city was much more desolate than the main part of the city._

_He jumped on a building wall and used Marshstomp's slickness and Mightyena's speed to dash away. He felt eyes and phones focus on him. He might become internet famous now._

_"I'll just lead her there," he thought. "That'll keep-"_

_"Hey, kid! When someone is talking to you, you never run from them without warning! That's just plain rude!"_

_Brendan looked to his side, and he saw the same woman running along the wall as well._

_His eyes widened, but then a fist connected with his face and launched him to the ground. He hit it hard, but he jumped out of the way before that woman's foot crashed down on his head._

_"How the hell-"_

_"Don't interrupt me!" she said, and then she launched forward and crashed her fist on Brendan's face. He felt his body spin. He stopped and stood still. He wiped the blood from his face and glared at her. He then saw this woman throw multiple fists at him, but he used Mightyena's speed to block the attacks. He then used his iron hard fist and punched her._

_"Chill the fuck out!" _

_He then threw a kick at her, then kicked her on her side, and then took her arm and crashed her on the ground. He then turned and started running again._

_The people that were crowding the streets were getting less and less, and the police sirens in the distance were getting farther. Even when he told the others to not get into much trouble, he was getting into plenty already._

_"Get back here, you damn bastard!"_

_"Who is this woman anyway?" Brendan thought._

_It was true that she looked almost identical to Lee, but Brendan's mind was calm at the moment, so he tried not to put much thought in it. He didn't want to make assumptions. He just tried to believe that. He didn't want to think of Lee anymore._

_"I said wait!"_

_She was now above him. She kicked, but Brendan blocked it with his own arm. He tossed another iron hard fist at her, but she took his face within her hand, and then spun around and tossed him. He was sent flying with a throw that wasn't even that powerful. His feet touched the ground, and he kept going back until he finally came to a stop. This woman was already next to him, and she was slamming her foot on his back to let him get crushed into the ground. He yelled in pain as she continuously rose her foot and sent it back down._

_"Aw...is little boy getting hurt? This is just too fun, you know? You seemed tougher in my mind, though."_

_"I don't even know who the hell you are!" yelled Brendan. He took the foot the woman was crashing down on him and then knocked her down. He got up, and then he started running again._

_Eventually, he finally got to the quiet part of the city. It did have much people walking around, but it was enough for them not to get hurt._

_Brendan stopped and turned back to fight his enemy. He didn't see her. As he thought about it, he hadn't heard from her ever since he knocked her down._

_He stood there in the middle of the street patiently. Nothing happened. He began to think he lost her. But as he thought that, he saw her walking casually and slowly down the street. When she saw him, she smirked._

_"Wow, I can't believe I actually found you," she said. "Sorry, I kind of followed a kid by accident with dyed white hair. I attacked him, and I don't know if he died or not, but I really thought I lost you."_

_Brendan glared at her. She had brought innocent people into this fight._

_"That's it."_

_He dashed at her with Mightyena's speed. He threw a punch, but she simply moved back and kicked him with a strangely powerful kick that sent him upward toward a building. He was able to set himself on the wall with Marshstomp's power. He saw her stretching, and then she broke into a run, placing her foot on the building and running upward toward him._

_"What the hell?!"_

_"Didn't expect that, didn't ya!"_

_She went to him and punched him hard enough for him to break through the building's window. He landed on the ground. He looked toward the broken window, but then he heard a loud shriek. He turned and saw an old woman at a dinner table._

_"Shit!" he thought, but then the woman who was attacking broke down the whole wall surrounding the window. She landed on the ground, and without even a warning, she took the table at the place with ease and swung it at Brendan. Brendan ducked, and using Shiftry's strength, he took the old woman and ran out into the hallway of the apartment._

_"Get over here!"_

_He ran and turned. He opened a random door that wasn't locked and shoved the old woman in there. It seemed to be filled with supplies._

_"Just stay here for ten minutes, and then get back to your room. Sorry!"_

_He shut the door, and then he ran for the stairs. He got to the top and opened the door to the roof._

_"Now I need to-"_

_"Did you run this much while fighting him?"_

_Brendan turned back and saw the woman walking toward him, and she looked annoyed._

_"You're getting really boring really fast," she said, and she gave him that smirk again._

_Brendan rushed at her to punch her. She ran to him as well. Brendan cocked his fist back to punch her._

_He pushed it forward, but the woman had already jumped over him. She landed, and then took the back of his shirt and tossed him over the roof. He was now in midair, not falling to the ground just yet._

_Above him appeared the woman who had a scary resemblance to Lee._

_She smirked yet again, and this made Brendan shiver once again._

_"W-Who the hell are you?" he asked._

_"Someone you don't have to know at all."_

_She then grabbed him, spun around inhumanly in the air, and tossed him at a building._

_He broke through the wall, but right after he made his back iron hard first. But it didn't take away all of the pain.._

_Brendan moved his legs frantically while touching his back, feeling the sensation of the intense pain that coursed throughout his entire body. The room he was thrown toward had collapsed and metals and debris were everywhere. Dust covered his clothes._

_He slowly sat up while the pain soothed down, and then he looked around. His emerald green eyes were fiercely looking for his opponent. He forced himself to stand. He felt like falling, but if he did, that would mean certain death._

_"Who the hell is she?" he thought._

_"My, my, what a persistent boy."_

End of Flashback

* * *

Brendan started moving in his sleep. Dawn looked at him with worry. She made an ice wagon, and placed him on it. She had already bandaged him up. She was already at the Pokemon Center, and she was nearing their room. She took out the key and opened the door.

The first thing that caught her attention was May tied up by a desk.

"Hey, Dawn."

"Why are you-"

May motioned her foot to point at Ash, who was under the blankets. He pulled his head out and looked at Dawn. Dawn blinked a few times and closed her eyes.

"I'll be fair to you today," she said. "Go ahead. I'll give you five minutes before I kick your ass."

"What the hell?! But she attacked me!"

"I did not!"

"Uh-huh," said Dawn. "I change my mind. I don't want to hear it."

She then walked in. As she did, May noticed the ice wagon, and as it got in, she noticed Brendan on it.

"What happened?! Did you hurt him?"

"No, not this time," said Dawn as she closed and locked the door.

"Is he alright?" asked Ash, and Pikachu popped out from within the blanket to look as well. "What happened to him?"

Dawn didn't say anything, but May could see her fist clench.

"I-I'll tell you, but first help me bring him to bed," said Dawn.

After a couple of minutes, Dawn told them everything. She told them about what happened, who Chun-Li was, what she wanted, and her message to them.

Listening to all this, she could see Ash's expression getting grim.

When she was finished, she saw down next to Brendan, who was still unconscious under the blankets.

"I don't know what to do," said Dawn. "Look at him. He shouldn't be fighting anyone for some time. I never expected...Lee's sister to come here. I just don't know."

May looked at Ash. Ash was quiet. Everything was quiet, but then they heard Brendan stirring. They looked at him as he slowly sat up from the bed and placed his hand on his bed. He rubbed it for a while, and then turned to May.

"Why is May tied up?" he asked. "Ow, ow, ow. Oh man, my arm hurts."

He turned to them and saw their looks.

"What?" he asked.

"So that bitch is gonna be coming here?" asked Ash. "Really?"

Brendan stared at him, and then smiled.

"I guess so," said Brendan. "She fucked me up, dammit. She's better than her brother. I've got to admit that."

"Aren't you scared?" asked Dawn.

Brendan seemed to be thinking.

"Nope," he said. "Why should I? Lee got what he deserved. If she thinks I did something wrong, then let her believe that. I won't change my view of it."

"But you can't fight anymore," said Dawn. "You're too injured."

"Dawn's right," said Ash. "You need more time to heal up rather than fight her again. I'll take your place and-"

"No!" Brendan said sternly. "This is my fight. I want to erase those memories. I have completely forgotten about Lee, but that woman brought the memories back. I have to erase all of it. I have to beat her. You guys are safe. She's only after me as long as you guys don't get in the way. I'll take care of myself. I promise."

"But..." said Dawn, but Ash stopped her.

"Are you sure?"

Brendan nodded.

Ash stared at him, and then sighed.

"Fine, but don't get yourself killed."

"I won't," said Brendan. "I have no grudge with her, so all I'll do is knock her out and hand her over to the authorities."

"I don't think the cops would be able to keep her," said May. "How about we hand her over to the League of Knights?"

"Yeah, that would be better," said Brendan.

Dawn lowered her head.

Brendan placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"I'll be fine," said Brendan. "You guys have to keep a safe distance though. She could attack at any time tomorrow, so be careful, alright? I'll go out and look for her so she won't attack here. I'll swear I'll come back. I haven't lied to you yet, right?"

Dawn looked at him, and slowly nodded.

But she still had doubts.

"Can you untie me now?" asked May.

* * *

It was nearly midnight. The kids in the room were all sleeping, except for that certain bluenette.

She was sitting on the top bunk with her arms around her legs. She just couldn't fall asleep, especially after knowing what was coming.

She looked below and saw Brendan sleeping while sprawled out on his bed. Ash was sleeping normally as well, and May slept soundly with a blanket over her, still strapped to that desk.

How could everyone sleep normally?

She held her knees again.

_"Brendan..."_

Those days. It was those days when he was always wearing a frown. It was those days when he tried pushing them away to protect them. When Ash left, he himself had to fight alone. He always got hurt, he cried, and he was confused.

But after all of it, when Brendan learned to use his power and he beat Lee, he smiled. He smiled a smile that she hadn't seen in so long. It was that smile and the words he said that day that made her heart fly.

_"With this new power I have thanks to my dad, I can help in protecting all of you. Ash won't be the only one playing hero from now on. No one will hurt you anymore, Dawn, I promise."_

Those words he said to her by the lake made her the happiest girl in the world. Now that he had power to protect them, he wouldn't allow any sadness.

But now she had power.

She had power to fight as well, and just like Brendan, she wanted to protect them as well.

She was going to destroy anything that made them sad, and she was going to help them smile.

She just wanted them to be happy. She wanted them all be happy forever, but now that just felt so far fetched with the trouble they have everyday.

There was no easy way to happiness, and there never will.

But she could try.

She looked down at Brendan again and then looked at her hand, which then curled up into a fist.

She had made a decision.

* * *

May heard a click. One eye opened up and she looked around.

_"Was that just the door?"_

She looked around, and then looked at Dawn's bed. The blankets were all scrambled about, and from her angle, May couldn't really see if anyone was there or not.

She grunted as she tried to lift herself up, but the desk was too heavy. She sighed and then reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic knife. She tried cutting at the rope.

"Pika."

May looked over to Pikachu, who seemed to have woken up as well.

"Hey Pikachu, help me out here."

Pikachu nodded and went for May. After chewing for a bit, the rope broke off. She petted him on the head, and then went for Ash's bed.

"Well I'm sleeping," said May, and then Pikachu sweat-dropped.

But then it sniffed the air and looked at Dawn's bed. It jumped up there.

"Pikapi!"

Pikachu motioned for May to come. She stood and looked at the bed.

No one was there.

"Did she go to the bathroom?"

* * *

Chun Li looked out the cracked window. Right now, it was 12:30 AM. Nothing was going on at the streets. She was just looking toward the sky. She checked her watch.

"I'm already bored here," she said. "I should just go early."

Then she heard footsteps.

She turned her head halfway to look back, and from the open doorway, she saw that girl walking in.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You already don't remember me?"

"I don't have to."

Then she felt the room getting colder.

"How did you find me?" Chun-Li asked.

"I knew you were in an abandoned building. It's cold out now, so these buildings should be cold. I knew from your heat."

"You can sense heat?"

"No. I feel the cold. I can feel something out of place that's not cold. But I can't search for specific heat signatures. Lucky I found you. I've already found two gangs. I just froze them up. You made the job easier, because I just searched for buildings that surrounded the building that you last fought Brendan. Thank Arceus that you decided to hide out at the building across the street."

They stared at each other.

"So..." said Chun-Li. "Why are you here?"

That girl placed her fist on her palm, and then created an ice sword.

Chun-Li turned to her.

"You've got a death wish or something?" she asked.

"No..."

Dawn held up the sword and glared at the smiling woman in front of her.

"In order to protect his smile, I'll fight you."

Chun-Li smirked.

"I guess I'm going ahead of schedule then."

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Even though she is not experienced, Dawn has made a decision to fight against the woman that's opening up Brendan's past yet again. She will not stop, and she will not face fear, for she will fight with everything she's got. Will Dawn manage, or will she fall? **Next Time: Dawn vs Chun-Li.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Dawn will be getting her second fight, and her first solo fight against a foe. The arc will come to a close next chapter, which will be out in two days. Thank you all for being patient for a new chapter, and I promise that I won't be giving late updates like this for a long time. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 2,194)**


	16. Dawn vs Chun-Li

**This is the one hundred fiftieth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. This will be the final chapter in the Chun-Li arc. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Gary placed Misty on the bed.

She was unconscious, and her forehead was bandaged up. Her right leg was in a splint, and other parts of her body were covered up.

Gary placed the thick blanket over her body.

Now he just stood over her. He stared directly at her face. His expression remained the way it had always stayed as: serious and focused.

He just stayed there, doing nothing for who knew how long. His body finally moved a little at the response of hearing footsteps coming closer. He turned back and saw Sephiroth.

The man stood by him and stared at the girl as well. He turned to Gary.

"You can't really blame yourself," he said. "She was being an idiot, and idiots get what they deserve. She'll be fine, though. You did not hit her anywhere vital. Her body isn't trained for these kind of fights. She should wake up by tomorrow."

Gary didn't respond. He turned around and proceeded to walk out of the room. Sephiroth placed a finger on his cheek and looked back at Gary.

"Gary..."

Gary stopped and he paid attention.

"I have another mission for you."

"What is it?" asked Gary.

Sephiroth looked away and proceeded to move around his finger.

"It may sound strange to you," he said. "But I really want you to do this. I could do it myself, but I'll just give it to you to improve your strength."

Gary turned around to look at Sephiroth, who was nervously smiling.

"What is it?" he asked.

Sephiroth turned back to him.

"It's a simple one," Sephiroth said. "I promise."

**Dawn vs Chun-Li**

* * *

Dawn held her ice sword in front of Chun-Li. She stood where she was, with her hands in her pockets. She stared at Dawn, and not a single move was made yet.

"I didn't want the floor to go red already," she said. "I was expecting to just come and go. Are we seriously going to do this?"

"Shut your mouth," said Dawn. She ran at Chun-Li and swung the sword at her. Chun-Li just took one step back. Dawn proceeded to swing the sword over and over, but Chun-Li always managed to dodge them. Dawn then created another ice sword on her other hand and swung it at Chun-Li. She jumped back. Her feet touched the ceiling, and then she used that to propel herself at Dawn. Dawn moved back as Chun-Li broke through the ground.

Her heart was beating fast. She had fought against a Dark Signer before, but she knew that Ash and Brendan were there to protect her if it got worse.

But now, she was fighting alone against a crazed maniac that would kill her without a second thought.

She felt the ground move, and she moved away quickly. She slammed her fist against her open palm, and as soon as Chun-Li broke through the ground, a large ice hammer waited for her, and it crashed on her.

She was sent flying. She quickly placed her feet on the ground and looked at Dawn.

"You better be praying right now."

She took out three needles from her pocket and tossed them at Dawn. She was going to move, but she already felt one stab deep into her arm. Shock caused her to stop, and she was conscious again after one soared past her face, creating a cut on her cheek.

Chun-Li removed another three and stood.

"Those were just warning shots."

She tossed the next three. Dawn had already molded an ice wall to block them. Dawn saw the needles go deep within the ice and barely coming out at the other side near her face.

In Dawn's confusion, Chun-Li had crashed her foot on the wall, breaking it into pieces.

Dawn clasped her hands together, and two large ice hands came together on both sides of Chun-Li. She blocked them with her arms with a smirk.

"You better get better at your attacks before I kill you, girl!"

She pushed her arms away, therefore destroying the two ice objects near her. She then came rushing at Dawn and guided a fist to her face. Dawn broke through a wall and fell to the ground on the other side. Chun-Li jumped through the open hole. Dawn quickly created a large block of ice, and brought it down between Chun-Li and her.

She breathed heavily. The large block of ice took away a lot of her strength. She stared at the needle within her arm. She closed her eyes and took the needle, and then ripped it away from her arm. She screamed, and then she held her bleeding arm and created ice to cover it.

She quickly stood and placed her fist on her palm to then mold two large swords. She waited, but heard nothing on the other side. But then she suddenly heard a crazy laugh.

The ceiling broke open. Chun-Li came down at her with her feet. It crashed down on her gut, sending her to the ground hard. Dawn coughed and created an ice wall, but Chun-Li broke through it.

"Come on!" yelled Chun-Li, and she took out three more needles from her back pocket and tossed them at Dawn. She quickly moved back and placed her glowing blue hands on the ground, creating an ice floor. Chun-Li quickly stopped before tripping, but then she saw ice spikes coming up from the ground. She jumped back quickly over and over.

Then, a single, large tower of spikes rose up from below her. She quickly took the top of the spike and was sent with it up into the ceiling, crashing through it. Dawn created ice stairs to allow her to get to the same place Chun-Li was.

When she got there, she saw the destruction she caused. Her ice tower had broken through the whole building, so the top of it had probably broken through the roof.

Dawn placed her fist on her palm, and placed them on the ground to create another set of stairs.

Before she got up though, the whole ice tower was destroyed in an instant. The shockwave caused her to fall off the ice stairs. She caught a glimpse of Chun-Li coming down with her special smirk.

"You pushed me into the air, you dumb bitch!" she yelled. "Don't send me flying unless I tell you to!"

She got on the ground and broke a large section of a broken wall and tossed it at Dawn. Dawn got up and went to jump on the broken ice staircase. The top was broken off, so she had to jump to the open hole on the ceiling. She hold on while hearing the impact of the wall destroying the staircase she created. She pushed herself into the room, and Chun-Li followed.

They were within the same room they were in at first. Dawn turned and created an ice bazooka. Chun-Li looked and saw the ceiling, which was shaking. She smirked and crashed her fists on the ground, causing a shockwave that shook Dawn off balance. She tried to aim, but then she heard the ceiling giving in, and the rubble crashed down on her.

Smoke covered the room. Chun-Li covered her face with her arm, and when she opened them, she saw Dawn on the ground, and her whole lower body within the rubble.

Chun-Li smirked and walked to her. Dawn used her arms to get up, but she yelled in pain and fell back down. Chun-Li stood above her.

"How are you feeling down there?"

Dawn simply glared at her. Chun-Li got down on one knee and took Dawn by her chin.

"You know, we didn't have to do this," she said. "I was only going after that boy. There was no reason to get involved."

"B-Because I...can't allow you to get near him," said Dawn. "He's suffered under you people for long enough. It's over for him! I can't just allow him to go through that again."

"You must be really stupid."

"This us not stupidity! This is just fighting for someone you care about!"

Chun-Li stared at her, and then she walked away. She went toward a desk and knocked it aside. Behind was a silver colored suitcase. She turned back to Dawn.

"Killing him will certainly be my ticket to power," she said. "One life won't make that much of a difference to the world."

"Shut up!" yelled Dawn, and she tried getting out from the rubble again, but she grimaced as she started yelling again.

"Stop yelling!" yelled Chun-Li. "People will think something is going on over here."

Chun-Li took the suitcase and walked to Dawn. She opened it, and within was a needle.

"You see this?" she said. "This is a special needle to take the blood of a victim, and hooking it up to a special computer will analyze the blood within it, therefore giving me the chance to add and remove things within the blood. It was invented by the Tenrou Clan. I can't just ask that boy for a blood sample, and it is large and fragile, so using it in a fight is just plain dangerous. He'll die anyway if I just strapped him down. This thing needs at least four liters of blood. That loss of blood could kill him quickly. Killing him seems like the easiest solution."

"No it's not!" yelled Dawn. "Your clan has to stop chasing after The Inheritance! Brendan has it! It's over now!"

"Nothing is over unless I say it is, girl," said Chun-Li. "But...this isn't really for the clan. This is for me."

She then shut the suitcase and sat above it.

"When I told you I was fighting for my clan and my brother, they were lies," said Chun-Li. "I wouldn't give a shit about either one! Once I obtain his blood, I will get to find the hormones that are secreted by The White Inheritance. I will easily be able to obtain them, and then I modify them."

"Why?"

Chun-Li placed a finger on her head.

"That boy hasn't even come close to unleashing the true power of The White Inheritance," said Chun-Li. "I know how to quickly speed up that process, and then modify its power. You must already know that The White Inheritance is able to use the power of the Pokemon the trainer has bonds with. But what if it's not their Pokemon? What if it's Pokemon that don't share with bonds with them? When I modify it and inject it in me, I will be able to gain the power of all Pokemon by force. The power of Groudon, Reshiram, Dialga, Palkia...Arceus! And with that, I'll lead my clan, and we will take over Ransei for ourselves."

Dawn was beyond shocked. She didn't know the power could go that far. If used in the wrong way, it could gain the power of gods. Her head fell. Chun-Li was laughing.

"Jealous, huh?" asked Chun-Li. "You know, I'm a reasonable woman. How about you save me the trouble and kill him yourself. I'll make you be second-in-command. What do you say?"

Dawn didn't speak. Chun-Li stared at her.

Suddenly, the rubble on Dawn broken into many pieces. Chun-Li had noticed it now, but they had been covered in ice, and Dawn used her power to destroy them. Dawn was getting up.

Chun-Li quickly got off the suitcase and moved back with it. Dawn's legs were bleeding and she was wobbling.

When she stopped, her monstrous glare struck Chun-Li.

"I won't let you."

She placed her fist on her palm, and a blue light emerged between them.

"I'm no longer the girl Ash and Brendan have to tell to stand back! I have the power to protect my region, too!"

"You should've taken my offer," said Chun-Li.

Dawn molded two large ice swords and charged at Chun-Li. She swung the first one down on Chun-Li's shoulder. Chun-Li used one hand to knock it aside.

"Tenrou Clan members are trained to have the power to mimic The Inheritance!" Chun-Li yelled. "With it, we'll become more powerful! I'll become more powerful!"

"Shut up!" yelled Dawn, and she got on the ground and swung one blade at her legs. Chun-Li jumped and crashed her feet down on the ice sword, destroying it completely. She laughed. Dawn was already coming back up, and she swung at Chun-Li's head. She ducked and threw a fist at the sword, destroying it as well. She then used the same fist and rammed it into Dawn 's face, making her spin, but she already got balance and had already molded an ice sword, swinging it at the suitcase.

Chun-Li moved it up, but Dawn's other molded sword was already swinging down on it. Chun-Li moved it to her face to block it.

Dawn's sword crashed into it, but it didn't destroy the suitcase.

"Ha!" laughed Chun-Li. "Did I tell you that this suitcase is extra durable?! I didn't? Sorry!"

She then rammed her foot into Dawn's gut, sending her back. Dawn soared through the air, and then she created a long, continuous ice platform as she was flying. Her feet touched it, but she kept going back. Dawn made a loop at the end, which sent her to the ground on her feet. She stood up and molded an ice bazooka. She did not hesitate to pull the trigger, sending a large ice ball at Chun-Li, who blocked it with her arm.

The impact destroyed the ball, but it also caused a white mist to form around them. Chun-Li looked ahead, but Dawn was already in front of her, and she rammed a fist into Chun-Li's face. Chun-Li moved back due to the impact, but she swung her arm at Dawn's head. Dawn's upper body was ripped off, and Chun-Li noticed it return to an ice sculpture of Dawn's lower body.

_"She can create clones now?!"_

She sensed Dawn and turned behind her to find Dawn holding an ice hammer, ready to swing it down on her.

"Don't screw with me!" Chun-Li yelled, and she took three needles that tore through Dawn's forehead, but then this one turned into an ice sculpture.

"I have the power to protect them!"

As the mist cleared up now, Dawn was behind her, and she had her fist on her palm. A blue light shined, and when it disappeared, two sharp blades formed, one extending from her right wrist over her hand, and one extending from her left elbow.

"I will beat you myself!"

She charged at Chun-Li. The woman turned around and swung her elbow at Dawn, but the girl had already ducked, and she rose, and with a mighty yell, slashed Chun-Li across the chest with the blade on her elbow. Blood escaped from the wound.

But it wasn't over yet.

Dawn then turned and swung the one that covered her hand at Chun-Li again. She changed to her other blade and slashed the woman again and again.

Finally, she then used a dual strike and slashed Chun-Li in a x-shape, and then she landed on the ground behind the woman and the blades were destroyed.

That was seven strikes.

From her wounds, blood escaped the woman's body, and Chun-Li yelled as her body moved back, and she fell to the ground.

Dawn had won the battle.

She defeated Brendan's enemy.

Dawn was breathing heavily.

She fell to the ground on her stomach.

_"I did it."_

Her eyes moved to the woman's body on the ground in a puddle of blood.

_"I-I have to get up and get the authorities. I can stop the bleeding. I-I have to get-"_

A loud laugh erupted from Chun-Li's mouth, and her body twitched as she did. Dawn was wide-eyed. She watched Chun-Li slowly move her upper body up, and turn to Dawn.

Her smile now was even more frightening than the one that haunted Brendan's mind.

She held her chest and got up slowly. She picked up the suitcase, and used its handle to support herself. She moved the wheel underneath it and limped toward Dawn. Dawn only watched her.

"You thought that was it, huh?!" asked Chun-Li. "You were wrong! You were goddamn wrong!"

Dawn tried getting up with her arms, but Chun-Li's foot had already crashed down on her head.

"This is it!" yelled Chun-Li. "You stay down! I'll fucking mutilate you, bitch! Your blood will cover this entire room! No one will recognize you! I will kill you!"

Her foot crashed down continuously on Dawn's head. Dawn couldn't move one bit, and Chun-Li's attacks were getting harder and harder. Dawn's vision was getting blurrier and blurrier.

"You like that!? You like that, bitch!?"

Dawn's eyes slowly closed.

_"I-I'm sorry, Brendan,"_ she thought. _"I was naive, thinking I could fight. I'm completely dumb to even be thinking of that. Why did I think that? I'm sorry, Ash, May. I don't think I'll be going with you guys anymore. I'm so, so sorry._

Dawn's consciousness was vanishing.

Chun-Li's foot rose to strike again.

And a certain boy outside the building was filling his mouth up with aura.

He shot the aura out, sending the blast though the building and barely at Chun-Li's face.

The attack had now caused the building to get off balance, and due to Dawn and Chun-Li's fight before, it was tumbling.

Chun-Li took the suitcase and jumped out of a hole on the building to get away, leaving Dawn to die alone.

"Dawn!"

_"Brendan?"_

Dawn's head rose, but then the floor below her broke apart, and she was now heading for the ground. From the rubble, she saw a white haired boy jump on the rubble toward her falling body, catching her before she hit the ground.

The building came down hard, and dust flew up into the air.

Ash was wiping his mouth with his hand.

"Did I hit her?"

A hand had smacked him on his head.

"You could've killed, Dawn!" yelled May.

"But I didn't!" Ash yelled back.

On the ground near them, Brendan had Dawn in his arms bridal style while one knee was on the ground.

Dawn was still surprised, and she looked up at Brendan's worried face.

"Brendan..."

"Don't ever do that!" he yelled. "You would've been killed. If Pikachu hadn't checked your bed...just don't ever do that!"

Dawn stared at him as he scolded her. A smile slowly formed, and a tear fell down her cheek.

"If there is something wrong, we ALL fight!" yelled Brendan. "No more do we fight alone! No more do we think for ourselves! Please..."

He was breathing heavily, and Dawn smiled.

"Alright. I promise."

Her eyes closed, and Brendan held her tightly.

Ash and May ran toward them.

"She escaped!" yelled Ash. "I was so damn close!"

"Is Dawn okay?" asked May.

Brendan loosened Dawn and looked at them.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he said. "We have to bring her to a hospital."

"What about Chun-Li?" asked Ash.

"I'll take care of her later," said Brendan. "Now we help Dawn."

Brendan looked down the road.

"Don't worry. I won't let her get away with this."

* * *

Heavy breathing, sneakers just scraping its bottoms on the ground, and the wheels of the suitcase that bounced up and down thanks to the bumpy road were the only sounds that were heard.

Chun-Li was walking alone with a hand on her chest. She covered up the wound, but she needed medical assistance.

She walked within the normal part of the city, but this late at night didn't have people around.

"G-Goddamit," she muttered. "Goddamit. I-I didn't lose. I'll get her for this. I-I'll get all of them for this. I will...them. B-But what should I do now?"

She kept limping until she got to a crossroad.

A presence made her stop.

She slowly turned to the road near her.

Someone was slowly coming into vision, walking toward her.

She stood still, up until she saw who it was.

It was Gary, and his hands were placed within his pocket, and he was coming toward her.

"Looky here. I was told to come find a woman with white long hair and a gray jumpsuit with a painted face in the city, and look what I see? Some loser in a weird outfit."

Chun-Li's eyes were on him, and she couldn't move. His stern eyes froze her up.

"No."

The word escaped her mouth softly, and she felt herself moving back.

"No, no, no, no. Not another one. Not another one of them. I-I can't. I just can't do it. With the way I am now, I have no chance. I-I-I..."

Gary just looked at her confused. Then he heard her snicker, making him raise an eyebrow.

"What am I saying?" she said, and her signature smirk formed on her face. "What the hell am I saying? Of course I can beat you!"

She then let out a crazy laugh.

"I will become the most powerful!" she yelled. "You're just a kid! A kid has no chance against me! Not the kid with The White Inheritance, not that ice girl, and not even you! I'm stronger! I won't lose to a kid!"

Gary watched her without saying a word. Then he sighed and moved his neck around.

"You know, hearing you say that actually makes me feel like hugging you," he said. "You're right. You're damn right that I am just a kid. You're damn right that you're older and possible smarter than me."

Then slowly, a evil smirk started to form on his face.

"But just because you're older than me doesn't make you stronger than me, does it now, HUUUUUUHH?!"

His foot crashed on the ground. Powerful electrical currents broke up the ground, and they all headed for Chun-Li while continuing to destroy the ground.

Chun-Li watched it come and then jumped at an amazing height. She landed on the top of a streetlight. She watched the shockwave cause the windows of the buildings around her to get destroyed in an instant, sending shattered glass in the air.

She watched, completely shocked and her heart pounded against her chest.

A piece of glass that was flying cut her cheek, which woke her up and she jumped further into the air.

While she was in the air, the pain from her wound on her chest caused her to grimace.

When she looked back at Gary, she saw the boy jump high into the air at lighting speed in front of her, with his right fist pulled back.

He lurched it forward, but she quickly pulled the suitcase in front of her to block it.

Gary's fist tore through it, and broken pieces of the suitcase and the contents inside scattered in the air. Chun-Li watched this in horror.

"Sorry about that! Now there's only one way to get out of this!"

Gary pulled back his fist again.

"GO BACK TO THE LITTLE SHITHOLE YOU CAME FROM AND LEARN YOUR PLACE, BITCH!"

His fist crashed into her face, and she was launched toward a bulletin board. Her body crashed into it, sending her and the bulletin board to the ground.

She crashed into a fire escape staircase, and the bulletin board crashed onto the ground.

Chun-Li's body twitched as she let out pained, low noises. A bunch of blood fell from her nose, her mouth remained open, and her eyes were white.

Finally, she got motionless.

Gary walked on the rubble on the ground, and then he found what he was looking for.

The top half of the needle within the suitcase lay on the ground.

"Geez..."

His foot crashed on it, destroying the object completely as he turned it to dust.

"I wonder why Sephiroth wanted me to destroy this thing."

He then proceeded to walk away as he heard sirens in the distance.

"Doesn't matter. As long as it gets me stronger, then I'll do anything."

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** With the new threat over, another finds itself in anyway as Ash has his third encounter with Gary Oak. His friends notice the boy is trying to avoid the thought, but how far will he go with this before he realizes that the situation is dangerous? How will their encounter go this time, and when will Ash see Gary as a threat? **Next Time: Long Gone.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. The fight with Chun-Li has now concluded. I built it up to make it look like she was going to return, but I instead made her Gary's bitch (I'm a troll). Because I was going so good in releasing these five chapters, I will release a sixth one on Monday (conveniently two days) because I'm a nice guy. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 2,359)**


	17. Long Gone

**This is the one hundred fifty-first chapter in Pokemon Heroes. This chapter was not late because I didn't finish it. It was late because I wanted a bigger space of views between the last chapter and this one. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

"You freaking idiot."

Gary placed his fingers on his temples. He rubbed them while Sephiroth continued giving him a smug look from the screen on the video phone.

"At least you get a break," said Sephiroth. "I've been sending you on missions as soon as you get here. Just sit around until I make another one."

"How long does it take to make another?"

"Um...within twelve hours."

"Great," said Gary, and he rolled his eyes while looking away.

"Just go explore the city while I get busy," said Sephiroth. "Don't get into a lot of trouble. I hear there is tight security over there. Still though, thanks for taking care of that woman for me. That makes things a lot more easier."

"Why'd I have to beat her in the first place?" asked Gary. "Why not just kill her?"

"Because she's none of my business," said Sephiroth. "I didn't expect you to completely break her. I just wanted you to break what she had. If she was able to use that needle, then having a whole clan trying to take over a region will be a big problem for me. It was best to just destroy the damn thing, right?"

"Whatever," said Gary.

"I'll contact you later when I'm done."

Gary simply nodded and placed the phone down. He moved his hands to his pocket and started walking away. He was in the Pokemon Center of Academia City. He sighed and started walking to take a rest in his room for awhile.

Then the corner of his eye could see the raven-haired child walk toward the exit, leaving the Pokemon Center with a certain Princess in tow.

Gary stopped while staring at the exit.

Then, he turned toward the exit.

**Long Gone**

* * *

Brendan had his back to the wall with his arms crossed. He stared at his girlfriend, Dawn, lying on the hospital bed with needles on her body, a heart rate machine, and an IV needle pumping liquid into her body. A breathing mask was on her face, and she was breathing normally.

He stared nervously. Watching her like this made him both sad and angry.

He heard footsteps coming from the hallway toward his room, and then he heard May's voice.

The door slowly opened, and he saw May's head pop in to check inside.

"Hello."

"Hey," said Brendan, and she opened the door completely to let Ash and her inside.

"We're back from picking up our stuff at the Pokemon Center," said May as Ash proceeded to place their bags on the floor.

May went over to Dawn and looked at her face.

"She'll be fine," said May. "We just have to wait."

"I'm lucky you were able to convince them into not calling her mom about this incident," said Brendan. "She would have already murdered me while I'm standing here. It's a scary thought."

He then looked at Ash and noticed the boy giving an annoyed vibe.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Brendan.

May then pulled out a clipboard from her bag and looked through the papers on it.

"Brendan, I've found out more information about that lady."

Brendan got off the wall at the mention of Chun-Li. He stared at May. May finally found the page she was looking for and turned to Brendan.

"I've ordered The League of Knights to go on a manhunt looking for this woman," said May. "They've closed off the town, making people unable to leave and enter the city, and within an hour of the investigation, she was found."

"Where is she now?" asked Brendan.

"She's been taken into custody, but not in good condition."

"Excuse me?"

"She was found with a severely broken nose, cracked rib cage, and a broken hand on a building's fire escape staircase," said May. "The area by her had destroyed ground. The buildings surrounding the area had broken windows. They were business buildings, and that time at night didn't have people in them, so no one got hurt. She's barely alive, too. It's a miracle."

Brendan just stared at her awestruck.

"Wh-What the hell happened there?" asked Brendan.

"Well, one person inside one of those buildings tidying the place up said he heard a boy and a woman yelling at each other outside. Before he checked, the windows were destroyed and he heard a lot of destruction until it all stopped. When he got out from his hiding place, he saw it was over. It must've been a fight."

"Who would have fought her?" asked Brendan.

"I don't know, and I'm pissed that it wasn't me that beat her ass to the ground!" yelled Ash. "Someone just had to waltz in and steal my prey, dammit!"

"She wasn't your prey to begin with," said May. She looked at Brendan and saw the boy with his back against the wall again with his arms crossed. He looked sad.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know," said Brendan. "I don't know if I should be feeling mad or happy. It just feel really strange. I also didn't expect for her to get beaten brutally like that. I was planning on just handing her over to the police."

"Then I'll kick the ass of the person who kicked hers!" yelled Ash. "That's just not fair!"

"Shut it, Ash," said Brendan. He then looked back at Dawn, and then a small smile started to form on his mouth.

_"At least she'll be safe now," _thought Brendan.

"Maybe I'll get into the prison she's going to be sent to and kick her ass over there!" yelled Ash.

"Ash, I think it's safe for us to go take a walk together," said May.

"I don't need a walk. I'm not a dog!"

"You're acting like one. Pikachu, you stay here with Brendan."

"Pikachu!"

May took Ash's hand and turned back to Brendan.

"We'll be back," said May. "Watch over her."

"I will," said Brendan.

Pikachu got on the desk beside Dawn's head and Ash and May walked out. When the door was closed, Dawn moved her body to her side. When Brendan looked back at her and saw her in a different position, and hearing her breath lightly, he smiled.

* * *

Gary was on the streets of Academia City. It was now the time when people were all over the streets. He looked around as he walked, keeping a close eye at the people who walked by him. He kept walking, trying to keep himself unsuspicious as he could.

And it was all because of seeing that boy walk by before.

_"Where are you?"_

He stopped and looked around again. People bumped into him and said things to him, but because he was more focused on trying to find someone, those people were lucky to be alive.

Then he heard their voices, and he turned to see Ash and May walk down the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

This time it was clear enough, and he could see that it was actually them. He saw Ash looking at the sky agitated, and he saw May speaking with him normally as if she didn't even take notice of his attitude.

Gary watched them go. A young man then hit his shoulder and then turned to the boy, saying things, but Gary ignored him.

This time, he was seeing them without being ordered to see them. Sephiroth had no way of communicating with him, so he couldn't be told to back out anymore.

Right now, he was able to do whatever he wanted.

And he knew what he wanted.

The young man behind him placed a hand on the boy's shoulder threateningly. Gary turned to him and glared.

* * *

"And when I see the color blue, I think of the sky and you," said May. "What do you think when you see red."

"I see a sea of blood and Russia," said Ash. "And also an apple."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

May pouted and placed her hands on her sides.

Ash turned to May.

"Can we go back now? I'm fine."

"You sure you're alright?" asked May. "I don't want to return over there and have you getting into a fight with Brendan or a nurse."

"That was only one time," the boy muttered. "Fine, I won't get into fights. I'll just take Pikachu and sleep."

"Alright," said May. "I'll-"

Ash sensed something, and then he rammed his foot on the ground, causing a shockwave that stopped the people around him in their tracks. He then took May's shoulders and moved her out of the way quickly and jumped away as a certain brunette crashed into the ground with his lightning covered fist, causing cracks and a shockwave that pushed the people around them to the ground and the cracks that formed to lift the ground on the road nearby and cause cars to come to a sudden stop, causing some accidents as well.

When May opened her eyes, she saw the destruction around them, and also noticed Ash holding her in his arms while standing on top of a streetlight. She looked down at the destruction and then glared at Ash.

"Ash!"

"Why do you always-"

He stopped when he saw who was in the middle of the destruction caused. People took out their phones and focused them on the boy that was standing while electricity crackled around him.

"Gary!" yelled Ash.

He quickly took May to sit at the side of a building.

"Stay here," he said. "I'm gonna kick that guy's ass right now!"

Ash jumped over the crowd of people and went for the boy that stood in the middle of them.

"Hey dumbass!" Ash yelled. "Try-"

Gary sent a bolt of electricity right at Ash's stomach, launching the boy toward the side of a building. Ash crashed into it and held his aching back, but he didn't have time to be thinking. He jumped off the side of the building before another bolt of electricity struck him. He got down to the ground and saw Gary connect himself to the side of the building he was just on. Ash materialized his Aura Blade, and Gary took out his sword that was covered in lightning and jumped off the building. Ash didn't move, and Gary crashed down on him, creating a crater that formed on the ground.

Ash lifted his leg and kicked Gary away. Gary skidded on the ground and then used his electricity to hold onto a car that was speeding by. He swung his arm and the car came soaring toward Ash.

"Fight fairly, you-"

He then saw something through the windshield of the spinning car.

It was a man, screaming his lungs out.

_"What?"_

Rather than dodge or destroy the car, Ash stood where he was and held his arms out. The car crashed into him and he moved back while trying to hold onto its heavy weight. He broke through streetlights and empty cars until he finally came to a stop on the middle of the road.

"That's a relief."

He placed the car down while groaning and looked inside. The man was pale and his mouth was still open.

Then Ash heard a truck's horn. He looked behind him and saw a truck coming at him while it tried to come to a stop.

The car was behind him, and the truck was coming in fast.

He sighed and quickly kicked the car to the side, making it skid enough to get away from being destroyed. He quickly jumped and landed on the front of the trunk near the windshield of the truck, and he used that to propel himself into the air, dodging the truck successfully, but the truck kept going and it crashed into other things as well.

Ash landed and saw the wreckage. The man within the truck got out safely.

_"This city is too crowded," _thought Ash.

Then he heard electricity and looked into the sky to find Gary coming down at him.

"Wait, Gary!"

Gary got in front of him and swung his sword toward Ash's chest. Ash moved back quickly and continued moving back as Gary continued to swing his sword at him.

"Gary, listen to me! There are people here! Let's fight somewhere without this much people!"

Gary then covered his fist in fierce lightning and slammed it against Ash's chest. This attack launched Ash past cars, flipping them over. He landed on the ground hard while holding onto his stomach. He glared at Gary, who was walking toward the boy while releasing electricity that held cars up and they were positioned so they could all be thrown at Ash simultaneously.

Ash stood and then launched an Aura Breath at Gary. The boy placed five cars in front of him, and the attack struck the cars and exploded. Ash coughed a few times and forced himself to get up while rubbing his stomach. He used his Aura Blade for support, and he looked toward the wreckage.

"That was on you, idiot," said Ash. "That was on you!"

The ground started breaking up, and electricity headed for him.

Ash quickly jumped into the air to the side of a building by holding onto a pole that extended out from it. He used it to launch himself toward a window ledge, and used multiple window ledges to head for the top of the building.

He landed on the roof and continued to cough.

"That bastard is crazy. This should be the perfect place to knock some sense into him, as long as-"

He looked behind and saw Gary slowly rise to the top of the building. Ash watched him and noticed he had collected much more cars and used some to lift himself up toward the roof by using electricity.

"You piece of shit," said Ash. He covered his fist in aura and held his Aura Blade in a position to fight. Gary landed on the roof and then tossed the cars at Ash. Ash swiftly cut them apart as they came at him. He slammed his Aura covered fist at the cars as well. He was fast, but Gary was getting faster as he threw the cars.

Ash could only hope that people weren't inside.

He was getting tired.

Finally, the cars ran out.

Ash breathed heavily and looked at Gary, just staring at him.

They just stared at each other, and then suddenly, Gary came at him at lightning speed and kneed the boy on his face. He then crashed his fist on the side Ash's face. He then cupped his hands over his head and then rammed Ash's head into the floor.

Gary then stood over Ash, who seemed defeated and exhausted.

Gary glared at him, and then took his shirt and dragged him toward the edge of the building. He took the boy by the neck and held him off the edge.

Ash forced one eye to open and he looked at Gary.

_"Is this...really him?"_

Ash opened his mouth to say something, but his words wouldn't reach Gary, for the boy had already dropped Ash.

The boy landed on a car hard, destroying it underneath him, and leaving him motionless on top as the alarm started blaring.

Gary stared at him, and then he looked out, and he already saw his next target.

May was in the air as her Beautifly held her up.

She looked horrified at him.

"Why?" he could hear her mumble.

He sent a bolt of electricity at her. She screamed and Beautifly quickly ducked before they both got struck. May flew toward the ground toward Ash. She looked up and saw Gary coming down from the building. He was shooting bolts of electricity at her. Beautifly was trying its best just to dodge them.

"Stop it!" yelled May, but Gary was still persistent. He made himself then get connected to the side of the building and launched a thunderbolt toward May's ankle. It struck, and May yelled out, and her squirming caused Beautifly to lose its balance, and then it crashed into the ground with May.

She lay on the ground motionless, and then she lifted her head to look around. Beautifly was near her.

"Are you alright?"

She reached out for it, but the pain in her ankle forced her to stop. She look down at it and then groaned.

She tried getting up, but she froze when she heard the hard landing of someone in front of her.

She looked up at Gary, who was glaring down at her.

She nervously smiled, but it was replaced with fear as she quickly moved her head down before a blade sliced through her neck. She quickly crawled away toward the side of a building and stared at Gary as he walked toward her.

"St-Stop! This isn't funny anymore!"

Gary rose his sword. May covered her face and lowered her head while shutting her eyes tight.

"Ash!"

Ash's vision was coming back. He could faintly head the car's alarm blare into his ear. He barely heard the police sirens that were coming toward them. He also didn't feel the pain and the blood that was coming from his injured body after crashing into the windshield. He slowly looked around, and then his vision caught Gary almost cutting May's neck off, and then her fearfully moving away from him. He saw her against the building, and her eyes were shut while Gary's sword was in the air.

Everything was so slow.

_"What is he doing?"_

Gary swung the sword down, but then he saw an Energy Ball coming at him by Beautifly. He deflected the attack and sent it toward a cleaning robot. It exploded, and flames rose from the wreckage.

Ash stared at him.

The flames behind him, the way he held his weapon, and the stern look on his face.

Ash's eyes widened.

From the image he saw, another image replaced his vision of another boy with flames, a weapon, and a stern look.

The boy he was forced to kill.

He saw Dark Signer Drew.

_"Not again."_

His fists clenched and his teeth tightened.

_"NOT AGAIN!"_

Aura exploded around him. He jumped off the car, despite the injuries on him, and he charged at Gary with aura covering his entire body.

Gary quickly turned and saw Ash coming at him with his fist up.

He was too close, and Gary quickly held up his arms as Ash's punch collided with him.

A large, destructive explosion erupted.

From the smoke, Gary jumped up on a streetlight.

He felt dizzy, and blood came down from his mouth.

The smoke dispersed, and Ash looked up at Gary with blue eyes, and May was below him.

The two boys stared at each other.

"Who?"

Gary rose an eyebrow.

"Who the hell did it?! Tell me! Was it the freaking Dark Signers?! They turned you into this!"

Gary was confused at Ash's yelling, but he didn't care. He stood and rose his blade to fight once again. Ash's fists fiercely got covered in aura.

_"What the hell is wrong with you?"_

Gary's eyes widened as he heard the voice in his head.

_"Who gave you orders to fight the boy?"_

_"Sephiroth?" _thought Gary. _"But how? In my head?"_

_"I have my ways, boy," _said Sephiroth angrily. _"Fighting in such a crowded city is dangerous for you! You could get arrested! You could ruin my plans! This is no time to be fighting that boy!"_

_"I got bored," _answered Gary.

_"I don't give a flying fuck! You return now!"_

_"How?"_

_"Rendezvous at the east side of the city near the building with the large bulletin board of a club. I will be coming to the city and have you return."_

Gary looked down at Ash, who kept his eyes on him.

_"I'm busy," _thought Gary.

"_I mean now, Gary."_

Sephiroth's voice sent a chill down Gary's spine. The boy held his blade tightly, and then he sighed.

_"Fine."_

Gary placed his sword on his back and turned around.

Ash noticed he was going to leave.

"Stay here and answer me!"

Gary turned his head a little bit toward Ash.

"Next time, I will be sure to end it," he said.

Gary launched a thunderbolt at a young boy who was in the crowd of people watching them.

Ash quickly used an Aura Breath to disperse the attack before it hit the kid. When he looked back at the streetlight, he saw nothing.

Ash's breathing eased up, and his eye color slowly returned to normal.

Police sirens got closer now, and people were being pushed out of the way so policemen could crowd around Ash and May.

They both ignored them, though.

May slowly stood thanks to the support of Beautifly and looked at Ash, who had his head lowered.

"You understand now?" she asked.

Ash looked toward her slowly.

"Yeah...I always had."

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Everything makes sense to Ash now. The memories of killing Drew haunts his mind, and in order for it to not happen again, Ash will have to get the answers from The Dark Signers, and with the drama going down within The Dark Signers involving Larxene, Ash may get answers sooner. How will Ash take in Gary's change of attitude, and what is Larxene up to this time? **Next Time: Betrayal.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. The huge turning point in this season had just happened. Ash now realizes that Gary is not the same person he was before. The thing he did not want to happen again was the thought of killing someone he was close to just because of the Dark Signers. Next chapter will be coming out by this week, and that will be the last chapter until we get back into the normal schedule. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 2,625)**


	18. Betrayal

**This is the one hundred fifty-second chapter in Pokemon Heroes. A certain electrical bitch returns in this chapter to "spark" a rebellion (Ah-ha). Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Larxene's foot placed itself against the edge of a tall building, and with that she propelled herself toward the sky.

She looked out sternly, and then her head caught a glimpse of something coming at her. She materialized two of her Knives and tossed them at the large boulder that was coming her way.

"Is that all?! You're much more violent than that, Lexaeus."

In the sky, Larxene could see The Dark Signer at ground level, looking like an ant. He was easily the largest member of The Dark Signers in terms of broadness. He had angular and strong features, with a square chin, straight nose, and sharp cheekbones. He had gray eyes and small eyebrows. His hair was ginger and slicked back into rather odd, messy spikes. She saw his stern look facing her, and she saw him simply place his hand on the building beside him, rip it from the ground and toss it at her.

Larxene's placed her feet on the side of the building in midair.

"I think I provoked him enough."

She then felt strange and she looked at her feet and saw a large ace of spades card. She jumped off the building quickly before the large card rose from the ground and covered her up. Large cards soared through the air heading for her. She moved her body quickly to dodge them. She then created a ball of lightning in front of her, and from the ball came a large thunderbolt toward her attacker.

It was another man, with platinum-blond hair, very short and worn in a Caesar cut, and he had gray eyes. He had a goatee with the same blond color as his hair. Four helix piercings in the form of two hoops were on each of his ears.

This was Luxord, and he chuckled and held up a card.

"This game is getting boring," he said. A large card appeared in front of him, and the thunderbolt was blocked.

Larxene landed on the top of a building and started jumping through the air once again. Her vision then saw a certain Sitar playing Dark Signer looking at her from afar. She could tell he was shaking in his boots.

"Now, now, Larxene," said Demyx. "You don't have to-"

She landed by him and glared into his eyes. This sent a shock throughout his whole body that sent him off the building and to the ground.

"Worthless," said Larxene.

She then summoned a large thunderbolt that destroyed the building underneath her feet completely. Large smoke developed from the destruction.

Lexaeus and Luxord landed near the destruction. From the top of a building, Saix appeared. Demyx stood behind him, cowering over the fear that Larxene was going to rise from the smoke.

But she didn't, for there was no one there.

"She escaped," said Lexaeus.

"She really pushed herself into one fine predicament, didn't she?" added Luxord.

"She surely has," said Saix. "Xigbar!"

Another Dark Signer walked toward him from behind. He pulled down his hood, and there appeared a man with pointed, elf-like ears, upturned eyebrows, and dark hair with several gray streaks tied into a long ponytail. He had a damaged right eye covered by an eyepatch, and a large jagged scar extending from his left cheek to just under his left eye.

This was Xigbar, the Freeshooter.

"What do you want?"

"You were supposed to help in bringing her down," said Saix.

"Why? Her trouble-making doesn't involve me."

"It does involve our organization," said Saix. "She has obtained forbidden information. She is supposed to be killed without hesitation."

"So?"

"If you take this as a game, then I shall assign you to find and kill her," said Saix. "I expect an accomplished mission. Roman will have your head if you fail."

Xigbar sighed and pulled his hood back on.

"You really piss me off, ya know?"

"Go now."

"Whatever."

Xigbar extended his hand and opened a portal. He walked through, and it closed up.

**Betrayal**

* * *

"You're feeling alright now?" asked Brendan as he handed Dawn an apple.

"Yeah. I don't feel hurt anymore."

"Good, then you'll be able to leave here by tomorrow."

Dawn looked outside her room, and then back at Brendan.

"Where are Ash and May?"

"Oh...they didn't show up until this morning," said Brendan. "All I know is that they were taken into custody yesterday because Ash started a fight or something. They were questioned and May got a scolding by The League of Knights. I haven't seen Ash, but May came this morning to check on you. She told me that Ash was too upset to come."

"Upset?"

"It's not too serious, May said," said Brendan. "I was going to check on him later."

"Alright," said Dawn, and she sighed and lowered her head. "Sorry about being useless and making you worry."

"It's alright," said Brendan. "Just stay here and rest up. I'll be watching over you."

Dawn blushed and turned to Brendan with a smile.

"Thanks."

The door opened, and a frog-faced doctor walked in with a clipboard. He turned to Brendan.

"I see the patient is doing well."

"She is," said Brendan. "How long until she can be released from here?"

"We'll just do a little more tests, and then she can get out," said the doctor. "Easy as that."

"Thank you," said Brendan. He turned to Dawn and smiled.

"Oh, and by the way, thank you for participating in our survey," said the doctor. "We noticed that girls with that blood type do wear those kinds of undergarments."

Everything froze. Dawn's smile started to fade, and Brendan slowly turned to the doctor.

"What?" asked Dawn.

"Well, you were asleep, so we made your boyfriend help us in the survey for the type of undergarments you wear. You've got a dependable one over here."

"Doc...didn't we agree not to mention that?" asked Brendan.

"Wh-oh, oh! Sorry about that. I just forgot. Well, I've got to go. I'll send a nurse over to check on her."

He left the room and shut the door behind him. Brendan slowly looked at Dawn, and he saw her giving him a dark glare.

"Um..." started Brendan. "You're gonna eat that apple?"

The red fruit then crashed into his face.

* * *

"Ash! Ash! Wait for me!"

Ash walked ahead of May, ignoring her voice. Too many thoughts crossed his mind. Images of Gary, Drew, and The Dark Signers kept on replaying. Every time he thought of Drew as a Dark Signer, his fists clenched, and he proceeded to grind his teeth.

_"What if Gary turned into a Dark Signer?"_

He tried shaking the thought from his brain.

_"You know something's wrong with him, Ash! We have to do something about it, or else it might get worse!"_

_"Why did you have to be so right, Dawn?" _thought Ash.

His walking was suddenly halted. He turned and saw May holding onto his arm while breathing heavily, indicating that she must've been running after him for a long time.

"I...I said slow down," said May.

Ash stared at her, and then he calmly removed his arm from her grip. Pikachu was on her shoulder. After she finally got her breath back, she looked up at Ash.

"Why'd you have to just walk out like that?" asked May. "You left me and your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. You're not even going to visit Dawn?"

"She's fine," said Ash. "I was going to visit her later."

Ash looked away toward a blocked street. Within was construction workers fixing up that damaged terrain caused after Ash and Gary's fight.

"This is about Gary, isn't it?" asked May.

"I'm fine," said Ash. "I promise. You don't have to worry about Gary anymore. I have it all under control."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," said Ash. "I know The Dark Signers are somehow connected to this. I just have to find one and-"

"You're just going to walk up to one and expect them to tell you everything?" asked May.

"Yes," said Ash. "I'll force them, too. So just remain calm. You don't her to worry at all."

May took Ash's clenching fist into her hand. Ash looked back at her.

"I'm not worried about me," said May. "I'm worried about you. Will you be alright?"

They just stared at each other for awhile without a word.

This peace was broken after a sensation started to build up within Ash, and he knew what it was.

_"Dark Signer! My lucky day!"_

"You stay here!" yelled Ash. "I'll be back!"

Before May could say anything, Ash had already jumped into the road and jumped over cars.

"Ash, don't get us in trouble again!"

Ash nodded and went to where the sensation got stronger.

"I'll beat the shit out of this one and let them tell me what I need to know!" said Ash. "I WILL know what I need to know!"

* * *

Ash's search had sent him into the outer part of the city. There wasn't much buildings that rose to the sky, and it wasn't that crowded either.

_"Is that bastard moving?" _thought Ash. He looked around from the side of a building. The sensation in his aura slowly got bigger and smaller at different times. This meant that his enemy was on the move, but where?

Then, a large thunderbolt crashed down in the distance. Ash look at the destruction it caused as smoke rose up into the sky.

_"Gary?" _he thought, but he quickly shook his head, and then used the building to propel himself toward the destruction. When he got close enough, he saw a Dark Signer standing within a crater in the middle.

Without hesitation, Ash jumped into the sky and launched an Aura Breath toward his foe. The attack struck, and smoke rose up even more. Ash landed on the ground near the crater and tried looking through the smoke.

"Hey, that was unfair."

Ash heard this voice from behind. He turned around, and then a fist crashed into his face.

He moved backward, and then rubbed his face. He looked at The Dark Signer, and it was the one and only Xigbar, shaking his fist.

"You have a really hard head, you know?" he asked. He then looked at Ash closely, and then he smirked. "It's you! I haven't seen you in such a long time! How is it being a Nobody?"

"What?" asked Ash.

"Feels quite empty not having a heart, huh? Really, really empty."

"Shut up!" said Ash, and he materialized his Aura Blade. "You're telling me what I need to know!"

"Um...how about no," said Xigbar as he extended out his hand. "I've got something to do now."

"What did you guys do to Gary?"

"Dairy?"

"Gary!"

"I don't know any Gary," said Xigbar. "I've got to look for a certain bitch now, but who says I can't have a little break?"

His two Arrowguns materialized in his hands. From his posture and his smirk, Ash knew this was going to be a fight. Ash materialized his Aura Blade and looked sternly at the man.

Before one could make a move, a powerful thunderbolt crashed down between them. Ash was blown to the ground, and Xigbar covered his face from the dust. He looked to the side, and he saw the one he was looking for standing above the deep crater that was created because of her.

"You show yourself to me, Larxene?" said Xigbar. "Thanks for that."

_"Larxene?!" _thought Ash, and he turned to the woman. She was looking sternly down at them, and then she turned to Xigbar.

"Get out."

"No can do, missy," said Xigbar. "I have a mission to kill you or else Roman will have my head."

"Move aside or I will kill you, too," said Larxene. "I came to this city for a reason. I have a score to settle with these kids first."

_"A score to settle?" _thought Ash. _"So she didn't get over that?"_

"As if!" said Xigbar, pointing his weapons at her. "A mission's a mission."

Larxene sighed, and then reached into a pocket and pulled out a ball.

"I warned you," she said. She clicked on a button, and it enlarged into a large ball with purple on the top and dark lines on the bottom.

It was a Shadow Pokeball.

_"You cannot be serious," _thought Ash. She opened up the Pokeball, and out came a purple, sinister shockwave, and from that shockwave came a Pokemon.

This Pokemon used to be an avian Pokémon with predominantly yellow plumage. It used to have black rings encircle its eyes, and it had a long, thin, light orange beak. Its wings and tail were a mass of spiky feathers, with black feathers covering the back of its wings and inner tail feathers. A large crest of spiked feathers surrounds its head. Its thighs were a khaki color, and it had anisodactyl feet ending in talons.

But now, it was all dark, and it had yellow, lifeless eyes. Its feathers were sharper, and it had a much sinister look.

This was Zapdos, but now, it was Shadow Zapdos.

"You were never authorized to catch that," said Xigbar.

"I don't go by your rules anymore," said Larxene. She snapped her fingers, and Shadow Zapdos let out a loud, ear piercing screech. With that screech, the clouds in the sky turned dark, and they clumped up together. Thunderbolts could be heard cracking from within the clouds.

A large thunderbolt came from the clouds, and it crashed down on Larxene.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" asked Xigbar, but now he understood.

The attack stopped, and Larxene still stood like normal, but something felt different.

Suddenly, a wave of blue lightning rushed past Xigbar.

"I have obtained the power from Zapdos," said Larxene. "Step two in the plan in now complete. Now on to step three."

Xigbar and Ash stared at Larxene, and then Xigbar looked at Ash.

"I leave it to you now."

"What?!"

"I'll just take the credit, alright?"

"Shut up!"

Then a blue thunderbolt crashed down on Xigbar. Ash was blown to the ground by the shockwave. When he saw the aftermath, he saw nobody.

"He escaped," said Larxene. "Doesn't matter. He'll be taught a fine lesson when I'm done here." She then looked at Ash. "Where are the others?"

"Others?" asked Ash. "What do you want with them?"

"I want to get back at that ice bitch," said Larxene. "Tell me now."

"Kiss my ass."

Ash jumped out of the way quickly before a large blue thunderbolt struck him. He shot an Aura Breath at her but it was instantly dispersed once Shadow Zapdos flapped its wings.

"I will kill you first then," said Larxene. "Prepare yourself, kid."

"I want answers, now!" yelled Ash. "What did you do to Gary?!"

Shadow Zapdos came soaring toward Ash. Ash jumped above it to land on top, and then he crashed his Aura covered fist into its back. It let out a shriek, and it crashed to the ground with Ash.

Ash jumped off it and rushed toward Larxene. He jumped into the air and covered his arms in aura.

"You're telling me what I need to know!" yelled Ash.

The aura that covered his arms generated long torrents, which moved in a spiraling formation to strike Larxene. Ash's attack caused an explosion. Within the smoke, Ash tried leaving his eyes open as he watched in shock as Larxene held his fists.

She then crashed her fist into Ash's face. She then tossed even more punches on his body, but Ash's couldn't see them because they were going too fast.

With the final punch, a fist collided with his chest, and he was launched straight into the ground. He coughed up blood, but then a large thunderbolt crashed down into him.

He yelled out in pain, and when it was all over, Ash coughed up blood once again, and his body twitched a couple of times. He looked up at her, and then his fists clenched.

_"God...dammit."_

Shadow Zapdos then landed in front of him. It took him with its sharp talons and soared up into the air with him. Its sharp talons nearly dug into his chest. He struggled to be free, but its tight grip was too much.

"I tried to be nice to you," said Ash.

Suddenly, a large burst of aura exploded from Ash's body. Shadow Zapdos yelled in pain as its body got covered in it. It then dropped Ash, and now Ash was heading for Larxene.

"You're still alive," said Larxene. "You sure are persistent."

She materialized her Knives, but they quickly evolved into large daggers, with two on each hand. Ash materialized his Aura Blade, and their weapons clashed with each other. Larxene elbowed Ash across the face sending him back. Ash landed on the ground. When he stood, Larxene was already in front of him, and she swung her daggers at him.

Ash held up with blade to block it, but then Larxene's strike had pushed his blade away, making him vulnerable for another attack. The next attack was her daggers on her other hand coming at him. Ash quickly launched an Aura Breath at her. Larxene used her lightning fast ability to get out of the way and appear above him. Ash created an Aura Sphere and tossed it at her. She held her arms out, and she held the attack back as she was pushed up into the air. She pushed the ball of Aura aside, and then looked back down at Ash.

The boy was on the ground, covering his entire body in aura. He then propelled himself up at her, leaving a wake of aura behind, and then striking her with a devastating headbutt on her gut.

She coughed up blood, and then in midair, Ash crashed his aura covered fist in her face, sending her toward the ground.

She landed on the ground and looked up at Ash sternly.

"Zapdos, now!"

Ash looked behind him, and he saw Shadow Zapdos in the air, covered in a dark cloud with its eyes closed. When it opened them, a large dark cannon was launched toward Ash.

Ash held his arms up to block the attack, but he knew that this was not going to be enough.

The attack struck, and Ash was sent down to the ground hard. The attack had done a toll on him. His hoodie was getting ripped up, and his arms had bruises on them as blood fell from his mouth.

His vision looked blurry, and he looked up to see Zapdos preparing to launch another one at him. He saw Larxene walking toward him with a smirk.

"Are you finished, boy?" she asked. "Do I have to beat a little more sense into you?"

Ash turned his body around, and used his painful arms to lift himself up from the ground, but Larxene crashed her foot on his face, bringing him back down to the ground.

"I won't be killing you just yet," she said. "I want you to witness me killing the others. The shame I experienced will be the exact same shame I shall give to you."

Ash sternly looked at Larxene and then back at Zapdos.

He was fighting two foes who had mastery over the lightning element.

This would've been easier if he had his Pokemon with him.

* * *

The people within the inner part of the city watched in horror as the sky got darker with clouds and thunderbolts crashing down onto earth. Authorities were advising people to take shelter within their homes, and they were trying to help others get to them faster.

May, standing near a building so she wouldn't be crushed by the massive amount of people walking back and forth on the sidewalk trying to find their way home.

"Do you smell Ash?" asked May.

Pikachu shook its head. Within the city, it was hard tracking down people.

After Ash had left May, she went to the Pokemon Center to pick up something. When she left, she saw the sky darken, lightning striking many parts of the city, and a horrifying screech. She saw explosions in the distance, and she knew it was caused by Ash.

She looked in the distance.

"Let's get over there."

* * *

Brendan looked out the window. He noticed the dark clouds as well. Thunderbolts crashed onto the ground, and one almost struck the hospital they resided in.

"What is going on out there?!" asked Dawn.

"Trouble," said Brendan. "You heard that screech. There is something dangerous out there. I don't know if Ash is there, but it might be dangerous. I'll be going over there."

"I'm coming, too," said Dawn, and she proceeded to remove the blankets on her.

"No," said Brendan. "I've got this. You stay here and heal up some more."

"Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," he said, and he turned to her with a smile. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Larxene removed her foot from Ash's face and proceeded to walk away.

"I'll let Zapdos end you," said Larxene, and she then noticed Shadow Zapdos open up its eyes, charged up to strike Ash once again.

"I'll go find the others now," said Larxene. "It will be really fun to rip apart that ice brat."

"Leave...them...alone," said Ash, and he placed his arms on the ground to get himself up once again. "Leave them alone and tell me what you and The Dark Signers are trying to do with Gary."

"I am no longer affiliated with The Dark Signers," said Larxene. "I walk my own path now, and once I reach the end of that path, I'll be powerful enough to return and rule over The Dark Signers myself. I take orders from nobody. But that boy Gary is known within The Dark Signers. He makes a nice little pawn."

"Pawn?" said Ash. "So you guys are involved!"

"Not really," said Larxene. "Now I enter step three of my plans that Marluxia failed to enter. There are things you just don't know, boy. Many, many things. You should keep a closer eye on your princess."

"May?" asked Ash. "Are you after her?"

"You can say that," said Larxene. "I've learned things so secretive that even Roman wants me dead. If everything goes smoothly, I won't have to worry about that. Once I get stronger, I won't have to worry about anything anymore."

_"Stronger?" _thought Ash, and then an image of Gary appeared in his head.

He then punched the ground, and his fists clenched tight enough to see his veins.

"Take me to Roman."

"Take you to Roman?" asked Larxene, and she stopped and looked back. "Didn't I just tell you I don't involve myself with them anymore?"

"I said take me to Roman," said Ash, and he got his torso above the ground using his arms.

"I think you're too late for that," said Larxene, and Shadow Zapdos screeched its horrible screech, and like before, a dark cannon shot out from its mouth. Ash didn't even look at it. He got to his feet and glared at Larxene.

"I don't give a shit," he said.

Aura blazed around his fists and his legs. His eyes were blue, and his sharp glare had even pierced through Larxene.

The attack got closer and closer to Ash.

"You are going to take me to Roman whether you want to or not!"

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Larxene's plan has reached its climax, and Ash has to fight against The Savage Nymph to save Academia City. Larxene is no longer holding back, so in order to beat her, Ash doesn't have to hold back as well. How will The Savage Nymph be defeated, and how will Ash finally get answers involving Gary? **Next Time: A Nobody's Pride.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Next chapter should definitely come by Monday. Chapters should return to its regular updating schedule by then. It has been so long since I've actually posted on Mondays, so I feel happy that everything will be coming back to normal real soon. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 2,856)**


	19. A Nobody's Pride

**This is the one hundred fifty-third chapter in Pokemon Heroes. This chapter simply came late because of Midterms. It's hard to proofread and study at the same time, so I decided to post it now. So that means the update schedule is finally fixed, so chapters will be posted every Monday (or Tuesday) once again. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Ash's aura erupted from the ground surrounding him.

His glare was piercing through Larxene, who watched with only a smirk.

Shadow Zapdos's dark cannon was charged up, and it was ready to hit Ash.

His legs were positioned to race toward The Savage Nymph. His feet left cracks when it pushed against the ground and launched him forward.

Larxene didn't care, for she just looked toward Shadow Zapdos in the sky.

"You're too late for that, kiddo," she said.

Shadow Zapdos shot out the cannon, and it headed for Ash without the boy paying attention to it. All he could think about was to beat the shit out of The Dark Signer that stood before him.

The cannon was only mere inches away from him, and his body could feel the winds push against his own body as it got closer.

But it did not strike him.

The attack suddenly dispersed before it got to him.

Larxene's eyes widened, and she quickly pulled her arms up to block Ash's aura covered fist that blew her back and created open ground beneath her feet.

Ash landed on the ground and looked toward the sky, and then a smirk formed on his face.

In the sky, Shadow Zapdos was struck by an iron hard fist that pushed deep into its gut, and the deliverer of that punch was Brendan.

Shadow Zapdos pushed itself away from Brendan and tried to regain its balance in the sky. Brendan used Pelipper's soaring to land on the ground safely.

"Thanks for saving me, Brendan," said Ash. "I completely forgot about that."

Brendan turned to Ash, and he looked confused.

"When did you get here?"

"Don't go being an idiot as soon as you get here."

**A Nobody's Pride**

* * *

Shadow Zapdos, finally getting back its posture, flew around the sky. It let out its horrible screech, and then its rage was focused on the two boys that stood on the ground.

"I should've known that a Dark Signer was involved," said Brendan. "Stuff like this doesn't happen for no reason."

"I need you to prevent that thing from destroying half the city," said Ash. "Do you have your Pokemon?"

"Yeah," said Brendan. "I can take care of that thing by myself."

"By yourself?"

"Wanna bet?"

"Ash!"

Ash froze, and his head slowly turned toward the brunette that was coming closer to the battlefield.

"Did I not tell you to stay put?" asked Ash.

"Yes, but I needed to help you," said May.

Larxene smirked.

"At least you kids are all coming toward one spot. That makes it way easier for me."

She moved her arm, and a strong bolt of lightning was sent toward Ash. The boy prepared to somehow counter it, but instead his electric mouse jumped in front of him and quickly absorbed the attack. Immediately, Pikachu shot it back with a lightning bolt toward Larxene. With her palm, she deflected it and sent it to the ground by her.

"Thanks, Pikachu," said Ash.

May got to their location, and she quickly removed the belt that was strapped around her waist, giving it to Ash.

"I went back to get your Pokemon," said May. "I hope it helps."

"It does actually," said Ash. "Thanks."

He took out two Pokeballs, enlarged them, and tossed out Charizard and Staravia.

"Help Brendan take care of Zapdos," ordered Ash. "Pikachu and I will take care of this bitch. May, you get as far away as you can."

"I can help, too," said May.

"Yeah, but not today," said Ash. "She'd kill you without a second thought. Just hide somewhere until we take care of this."

Although hesitant, May nodded slowly.

"I thought I said I could take care of this myself," said Brendan.

"I can't have you dying on me yet," said Ash. "Just take my gift while I'm being nice."

He heard Brendan groan, and then they nodded. With their backs against each other, they used that to push themselves forward toward their foes.

With a roar and a screech, Charizard and Staravia soared by Brendan on each side. While running, Brendan pulled out a Pokeball, released Pelipper, and jumped on top, and the three flying Pokemon soared up toward Shadow Zapdos.

Ash moved his fist back and directed the aura covered attack toward Larxene, who quickly pulled her arms up and was pushed back by the attack. Pikachu had quickly landed beneath her and used Volt Tackle to strike Larxene from below. She used her hands to absorb the impact, but the impact had already sent her toward the sky.

Ash gathered aura in his mouth and shot at Larxene with an Aura Breath. Larxene disappeared in a flash, and then she appeared behind Ash and swung one of her Knives at his back. He quickly went on one knee followed by an Aura Sphere thrown after he quickly turned his body around, but the Aura Sphere was just sent into the air because there was no one behind Ash that it could've struck.

"Peek-a-boo."

Behind Ash, Larxene crashed her cupped hands on Ash's head and onto the ground. The boy's body was pushed deep within the ground. Larxene rose her flat hand, and blue electricity crackled while surrounded that hand. She was about to pierce her hand through Ash's chest, but thankfully Pikachu jumped into the air and swung an Iron Tail at her. She had jumped out of the way. Pikachu landed on the ground and looked toward its trainer.

"Thanks for that," said Ash, and he slowly tried getting himself back up.

Larxene got into position to strike once again.

"With this power, how do you think you have a chance against me, boy?" asked Larxene.

"Of course I do! I'm an Aura Guardian!"

His stance signaled that he was ready for another, and his Pikachu stood beside him to fight as well.

* * *

Charizard, Staravia, and Brendan with Pelipper flew at top speed toward Shadow Zapdos. It let out another roar, but they still kept going.

"Don't go overboard hurting it," said Brendan, preparing to propel himself from Pelipper. "Just try weakening it until it comes back to normal."

Charizard and Staravia nodded in agreement.

Charizard stopped and launched a Flamethrower at Shadow Zapdos. It was just circling around the area Larxene was in, and then its attention was caught by the Pokemon that were coming at it.

It let out another horrifying screech, and then it shot a purple, ferocious lightening bolt at them. Pelipper moved out of the way quickly, and then it charged at Shadow Zapdos.

Brendan then jumped off, and his fists crashed down on Shadow Zapdos's head. Its body was bent forward, and then Charizard crashed into its gut. Charizard then used Flamethrower right after, pushing Shadow Zapdos back far. Brendan landed on his Pelipper, and they soared toward Shadow Zapdos again.

Shadow Zapdos then flapped its wings, causing a gust to slow down its opponents. Brendan covered his face to cover his eyes, and when the winds started to die down, he opened his eyes a little bit to see.

Surprisingly, Shadow Zapdos was before his Pelipper and he, staring down at them.

A dark shockwave suddenly pushed them toward the ground. The shockwave was powerful enough the faze the flying Pokemon.

Brendan looked toward the hard ground and he gulped.

_"Pelipper or Aggron's power won't help this time."_

He covered his face and braced for impact. Staravia got its consciousness back, and it spotted Brendan heading for the ground.

It screeched and flapped its wings to gain control, and then it soared toward Brendan. It caught him by the back of his shirt, and they both steadied themselves in the air.

"Thanks, Staravia," said Brendan as he smirked and gave a thumbs up. "Now bring me back toward that thing!"

Staravia nodded, and it soared back up to Shadow Zapdos while carrying Brendan. Shadow Zapdos started throwing dark electric balls down at them, but they dodged them quickly. They got far above Shadow Zapdos, but then they stopped and looked down.

"Now, Staravia!"

Staravia screeched, and then it soared downward, then it tucked its wings to its side and got covered in blue fire. Brendan cocked back his fist. With a roar, Brendan thrust it toward Shadow Zapdos, but then it suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind them and smashed its spiky wing on them, sending them downward. The spikes had dealt some injuries to them.

"Shit," said Brendan after they stopped. A flow of blood fell from his cheek. "That bastard."

Charizard and Pelipper soared past them and they each shot a Fire Spin and a Hydro Pump respectively.

Shadow Zapdos deflected the Hydro Pump from its wing, and the Fire Spin had created a fire tornado around it. It then pushed its wings forward, and the tornado dispersed.

"Staravia," said Brendan, and Staravia turned its head to him. "I need to get in closer. Fly over it again and let me go. You think you can do that again?"

Staravia nodded, and Brendan smirked.

They soared upward again, passing by Charizard.

"Back me up, Charizard!"

Shadow Zapdos shot out a combination of purple thunderbolts and electric dark balls. Staravia and Brendan continued forward, and then Charizard soared past them and used Flare Blitz, getting surrounded by flames and crashing into the attacks, pushing them all away.

Staravia and Brendan broke through and went over it. They stopped, and Brendan looked downward.

"Let me off here," he said, and Staravia lost its grip on him, and he fell downward. Shadow Zapdos was prepared to strike him, but Pelipper had crashed into its gut, distracting it and giving Brendan enough time to land on its body.

_"Gotcha!"_

Having his hands and knees on it, he felt a burning sensation. Even when he felt this, the Pokemon's body felt ice cold.

_"This is cruel."_

Then he heard its voice.

It was faint, but he heard its voice, calling out to him, begging him to end its misery.

Brendan froze, and then nodded.

_"Then give me the strength to!"_

His hands gripped its back, and slowly, he felt power coming into him. He was forming a temporary bond with it, and he was going to use this bond they formed to win.

The darkness that covered Zapdos proceeded to cover Brendan as well, but he tried his best to remain calm.

He rose his fist, and within it was the power of a Pokemon that could create thunderstorms by simply flapping its wings.

With this power, Brendan rammed his fist onto Shadow Zapdos's back, and upon impact, Shadow Zapdos was launched toward the ground at lightning speed after a loud sound that resembled a thunderbolt erupted.

It crashed into the ground, creating a crater and sending rocks up into the air.

Brendan was falling toward the ground, and his eye color returned to normal. Pelipper flew below him and caught the boy on its back.

On the ground, Shadow Zapdos's purple skin was being sapped away until it fell to the ground like liquid, quickly evaporating into the air.

Brendan sighed and patted his Pelipper on the back.

"Good job," he said, and then he turned to Charizard and Staravia coming toward them. "You guys, too. You were a big help."

He then looked around. Flying around had sent them away from the battlefield, away from Ash and Larxene.

_"That bastard better make it out of this alive."_

* * *

Larxene charged at Ash and elbowed him, but he quickly brought his arms up to block it. Larxene landed on the ground and crashed a hard fist into Ash's gut, sending him flying. She then suddenly appeared by him in midair, took his head, and crashed it into the ground.

Pikachu, covered in fierce lightning, jumped toward Larxene to strike her. Suddenly, its power was sapped away into Larxene's hand, and then Larxene extended out her hand and caught its face in her hand. She then dropped it and kneed it on its gut, sending it farther away from her to the ground.

She smirked.

"Come on," she said. "I want more excitement from the so called Aura Guardian."

Ash was sending his aura covered fist toward the back of her head as she spoke, but she disappeared like a spark. Ash stood focused, and then he elbowed behind him, but Larxene had disappeared once again. He back-flipped and tried crashing his feet on her, but she disappeared again. He was about to turn to strike her again, but she had already crashed her knee on his head, sending him away.

He skidded across the ground, and when he stopped, he gathered aura into his mouth, but before he could launch it, Larxene was in front of him with a ball of lightning.

It exploded, sending the boy's body bouncing on the hard ground toward a large rock. He crashed into it.

Larxene prepared to crash into him, but then Pikachu came from behind her and used Iron Tail, so she side-stepped and crashed her fist into its body. Ash was coming toward her with an aura covered fist as Pikachu was sent away from her, but it placed its feet on the ground and hopped toward her.

Ash tossed two punches, but Larxene dodged them both and smacked Ash across the face with the back of her hand. Pikachu came and used Iron Tail again, but Larxene ducked while also kicking Ash on his gut. She then rammed her fist into Pikachu and then took its tail, then sending it toward Ash hard enough to send the both of them away.

When Ash looked back up, Larxene was in a crouched stance, gathering lightning in her hand, then opening them and sending numerous lightning bolts that were in the shape of lances toward them.

A large explosion erupted, and within the smoke, Larxene proceeded to laugh uncontrollably.

"This is amazing! Do you realize how much power I feel within me right now?! It is simply amazing! I feel like I can do anything! I certainly can go against Roman now, don't you think?! Ha, ha!"

May watched from the sidelines. She wanted to step in, but she just had to obey Ash's order and stay back.

She knew he was going to pull through anyway.

Larxene continued to laugh, but then it stopped suddenly and she looked toward Ash.

As the smoke cleared, the boy had a knee to the ground, holding Pikachu within one arm, and his other hand extended out. His fierce glare had once again pierced her. His hand looked bruised and burned, and he seemed to have taken a lot of damage since he was breathing heavily.

"You stay down, Pikachu," said Ash as he let the tired mouse lay on the ground softly. "I've got this."

"Just stay down," said Larxene as her fists quivered, and then a ball of lightning formed around one of her fists. "JUST STAY DOWN!"

She ran toward Ash and pushed her fist toward him.

Another explosion erupted, and smoke covered Ash. Larxene smirked, but then it disappeared after feeling and seeing what had happened.

Ash had one hand over her fist, and he had no damage.

"How-"

Before she could finish, a fist engulfed in aura crashed into the side of her face and sent her back as her feet violently skidded across the ground. She stopped and looked back at Ash, but the same fist had uppercutted her. She tried pushing the fist down with her chin, but it overwhelmed her, and she was sent into the air.

She looked down at Ash as blood fell from her mouth.

"How are you able to do that?" she asked, and she quickly tried to gather lightning between her hands again.

"I don't know," said Ash, and launched himself off the ground using aura over Larxene. "Maybe it's because I'm starting to obtain a resistance against lightning."

He head-butted her to let her lose focus on her attack. He then launched an Aura Breath at point blank and sent her crashing into the ground as she rolled across it until she came to a stop. She used her arms to force herself to get back up. Blood now fell from her head, and her whole right sleeve was ripped off.

She watched Ash land on the ground and glare at her.

"Doesn't matter anyway, because I've already felt stronger lightening than that."

"Don't toy with me," she said. "Don't you fucking toy with me!"

She stood and extended out her hands. A surge of fierce lightning surrounded her, heading high into the sky.

She proceeded to laugh uncontrollably.

"I will take over The Dark Signers! I will be the one to rule over all!"

"I'm done hearing your bullshit..." said Ash, and he ignited his arms with fierce aura.

Larxene's lightning got stronger and stronger, and large torrents of aura exploded from Ash's fists.

"...because no matter what you are..."

Larxene shot out a large cannon of fierce lighting right at Ash. It got closed and closer, and Ash's aura got stronger and stronger as it started to surround him.

"Ash!" yelled May.

"...I will always be there to kick your ass!"

Ash then moved his arms in a spiraling motion, sending the torrents of aura in a spiraling formation toward Larxene's lightning cannon that was coming at him.

It crashed into the attack, generating an explosion for each time it connected to it, until it finally broke through, and headed for Larxene, who only watched in the emotion she never thought she's feel again: fear.

A large explosion was the result.

* * *

Brendan, Charizard, and Pelipper was heading for the battlefield after their fight. They were guided there after seeing the large explosion in the distance that rose smoke up into the air, and they knew it was Ash. He had already called for Pokemon Specialists to take care of Zapdos.

When he got there, he saw a certain brunette on the ground. She had noticed him, and waved to him to signal that she was there. Brendan guided the group down to her, and then Brendan got off Pelipper and walked toward May.

"Did you save Zapdos?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "It'll be fine. It's in good hands. What about Ash and that Dark Signer?"

"Ash beat her. He's over there right now speaking to her."

"He's just speaking to her?"

"Yeah," she said. "He said he wanted answers, and he said he was going to get them. He told me to stay here and not get involved."

Brendan looked toward Ash, who was really standing over Larxene's downed body.

The two Nobodies had said nothing to each other. Ash stared at her as Larxene just blankly stared at the sky.

Larxene then felt something strange, and she slowly moved her hand to her vision, and already saw her fingertips disappearing into the wind.

Her hand crashed onto the ground, and she smirked.

"I expected this to happen at some point," she said. "I just knew I wasn't going to go that far."

Ash stared at her with an unchanging expression.

"Why?"

"Why? That's simple for a Nobody like you and I. It was just something that I did by instinct. I couldn't stop it. All I could feel was jealousy and anger. Jealous that I was taking orders from people I knew I was stronger than, and angry because I couldn't do anything about it. If I tried, I would be annihilated. Then Marluxia came along and showed me this plan, but I knew there were flaws, so I modified it myself. Didn't work anyway. I just thought that if I was strong enough, I could put them beneath my feet. I could spit and laugh in front of their faces. You know, the normal bitchy things."

"Does Gary have anything to do with you people?"

"I told you before, he's just listed as someone who we just have to watch over. If there was something with him that was important, I would've known. But what I do know is that whatever he's being watched over for doesn't involve us directly. Someone else is making the shots, and that person may be the one controlling that boy."

"Who?!"

"I don't know. I've seen many things that point to that. I've learned things about that princess that we don't know at all. A easier and faster way to obtain our hearts, but very dangerous. I planned to do it myself, but I guess that means it will be prolonged for another time by someone else."

"What did you plan to do with her?"

"I can't answer all of these questions with the time I have, boy," said Larxene, and now, only her upper chest, half of her right arm, and half of her face remained. She then slowly looked at Ash.

"Let me warn you, though. That boy Gary is falling into a dangerous part of the darkness, and he continues to fall. If he doesn't stop, he will reach a darkness much greater than a Nobody. He will become more dangerous than a Dark Signer. He will never be able to turn back ever again. Are you prepared for when that time comes?"

Ash relaxed his shoulders, and curled his fingers into a fist.

"I'll just force his ass out of the darkness then."

Larxene stared at him, and then she used her final moments to look at the clearing sky with only half her face left.

"You know, you're the second Nobody..."

She then disappeared, but her voice continued in Ash's mind.

_"...that I've seen that can still walk in the light."_

* * *

"Ta-da!"

Dawn twirled, and then finished with a peace sign over her eye.

She had finally been released from the hospital.

It had been three days after the battle with Larxene and Zapdos. Zapdos had been treated and set free a day after the battle, so it now roamed the world once again.

Dawn placed a pink scarf over her neck. She hadn't worn one in a long time, and now that she felt that her body temperature lower than it usually was, she felt the need to wear a scarf now.

Brendan and May were beside her smiling.

"That's great," said Brendan. "But you still have to be careful. You may have more injuries that still need to be healed up, so I'm gonna make sure you take it easy from now on."

"Whatever," said Dawn happily, and she gave a smile right back at him.

"Where's Ash?" asked May.

"I saw him sitting on the roof of the hospital before," said Brendan. "I don't think he's come down yet."

"Is he alright?" asked Dawn. "I haven't seen him in a while. He still hasn't visited me."

"Ash has been going through a bunch of crazy stuff lately," said May. "I'm surprised he's not sleeping like he usually does."

"We should try to get a good enough distance before the sun goes down," said Brendan. "Go get him so we can leave this city. We've been here for a while."

"Okay," said May.

This left Dawn and Brendan alone now. Dawn slowly turned to Brendan.

"I heard that you filled out another survey for me," she said. "Mind telling me what it was about?"

"I'm going to use the bathroom."

* * *

Ash's legs dangled off the building's roof.

He looked down at the cars passing by. Pikachu was by him, sleeping quietly.

Ash was deep in thought now. All he could think of was what Larxene's final words had been.

Gary could become more dangerous than a Dark Signer...just because of one person.

And Ash didn't even know the identity of this person either.

_"What's going on?" _he thought. _"It's hard not being able to know anything."_

But what did this mean? Are The Dark Signers truly the threat? Is there someone even more dangerous taking away Gary's humanity? How is it connected to The Dark Signers? His father? May?

_"So...many...questions."_

He heard the roof door open behind him, but he didn't turn back. He heard footsteps coming toward him, and then May's face popped up beside his.

"We're ready to get moving now."

Ash slowly nodded.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Are you still thinking about things?"

"I guess so."

May's hand then slapped Ash's back, almost making him fall from the roof.

"Stop thinking about things. It isn't like you to do that."

"Gee...thanks," said Ash, and he turned back to her. She was only smiling at him. He looked back out, and he also felt a smile creep onto his face.

_"Right now, I have to think about protecting them. If it's all connected, I will find out eventually. I'll find a way to take care of Gary as well."_

Ash then stood up.

_"And whatever the person behind the scenes is thinking..."_

He then slammed his fist into his palm and smirked.

_"I'll just destroy that illusion with my own hand."_

* * *

Sephiroth sat quietly within his log cabin. It was dark out, and the lights were all off. Only a candle sat near him within that room with the low table.

His eyes were closed, and then they slowly opened.

"It is almost time."

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** In their travels, Ash and his friends have entered a lively village that goes by the name Odyssey Village. A race that features Rhyhorns is starting, and The kids decide to participate, especially after finding out what was at stake. What does this race reward, and who will be the special person they meet in such a joyous occasion? **Next Time: The Rhyhorn Race.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. That finally ends the Academia City arc, and now we move on. This time, the next chapter is actually finished, but I'll leave it to be published on Monday. I know this chapter was supposed to fix the update schedule, but Midterms screwed that up, but whatever. This season is close to ending, so be prepared my friends. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 3,110) **


	20. The Rhyhorn Race

**This is the one hundred fifty-fourth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Finally a normal update. I guess this has taught me not be a total procrastinator and actually do shit. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening song)**

Mini rockets were launched into the air, and when they exploded, colored confetti fell toward the ground.

The atmosphere felt joyous, and people that walked by were smiling while buying things from the booths that were set up everywhere.

Within the crowd of people, Ash and his friends walked along, awed at what was going on.

"Why are they celebrating?" asked May, looking toward a food vendor's stand.

"Is it some kind of festival?" asked Dawn. "It must be for something important then."

"We should participate in this," said Brendan, turning back to Ash. "Let's stay for one day."

Ash hadn't been paying attention. He was brought back into attention and he looked toward Brendan.

"Oh...um...yeah," said Ash, and then his train of deep thought came back.

"Alright then," said Brendan. "We should head for a Pokemon Center. It's down that road."

"Alright," said Ash, subconsciously walking down the street Brendan pointed to.

"Ash, wait!" called out May, but she was too late.

A Rhyhorn that was running uncontrollably was coming from the road that crossed the road Ash was walking on. It crashed into him, and he was sent flying toward crates that were piled up near a large boulder. The crates' pieces flew up into the air, and a crack was present on the rock, probably where Ash's head hit.

Ash's friends only watched. The Rhyhorn was in position to charge at Ash again.

"Hey!"

They looked toward a girl that ran around the Rhyhorn, blocking its path toward Ash. Rhyhorn growled loudly, and the girl outstretched her hand. The Rhyhorn merely stared as her hand went for its hard paw, looking under it.

A nail was dug into its hard body. This girl slowly and carefully pulled out the nail and dropped it to the floor.

The Rhyhorn's anger turned into joy, and brushed up against the girl happily.

"It's alright, it's alright," she said happily. She then turned to Ash behind her and stood up. "I'm so...wait a minute? Ash?!"

This girl had a black tank-top with a white collar, a red skirt, a dark pink hat with a black bow, black long socks, and black shoes. She had a pink backpack by her side, and she looked down worriedly at Ash.

May had recognized her.

"Serena?"

"Ash, are you alright?" asked Serena.

There was no response, because Ash was already knocked out.

**The Rhyhorn Race**

* * *

After forcing Ash to wake the fuck up, they dragged him over to the Pokemon Center. Serena had ordered tea from the cafe within the Pokemon Center, and she placed the tray of cups on the table in front of the kids while they all sat on a long couch.

"Here you go. I apologize for what happened today. My Rhyhorn went crazy after I was training with it. I shouldn't have trained by a construction site."

"It's alright," said May as she took a cup of tea. "Ash has taken harder hits than that."

Right now, Ash was slouching while holding onto a bag of ice that was placed on his head.

"It's been a long time since we've seen each other," said Dawn. "How are things?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," said Serena. "I kind of hope it stays that way. What about you guys?"

"At least we're not dead yet, so I guess everything is going well," said Brendan.

"Are you traveling alone?" asked May.

"No," answered Serena. "A couple of weeks after I met you guys, I passed by Haruka City. I met some people there who were just on their way to go on a journey."

"That's great," said May.

Serena nodded. She looked toward Ash.

Ash and she had been friends some time ago. She remembered how they both talked by a river everyday in Pallet Town until she had to move away. She knew Ash didn't have much friends back then, but she was glad that he had some now.

Too bad Ash couldn't remember her at all, though.

"By the way, where are your friends?" asked Dawn.

"Oh, they-"

"Serena!"

The voice had come from the entrance, and they looked to see three kids heading toward them.

One was a heavy-set boy with black hair that resembled the leaves of a Chespin's head. He had an overweight physique. He wore a large black T-shirt that had a Vanillite design on it, orange cargo shorts, a yellow backpack, and matching black and yellow sneakers.

The next boy was short. He had orange rounded hair and had brown eyes. He wore a white collared shirt under a blue one and had grayish pants with green shoes. He wore a green backpack.

Finally, a short girl was in front of them. She had a dark skin tone, long brown hair which she keeps in pigtails and she had dark green eyes. She wore a dark pink t-shirt decorated by three large black bows and she wore a pair of denim shorts. On her wrist she had a matching dark pink wristband and a black frilly bobble. She had a pink purse, and on her feet were dark pink ballet type shoes with a small heel. She had been the one that called Serena, and she walked over to the girl.

"Serena, where were you?" she asked. "We thought you were at that training spot. We left you just to get ice cream and now you're all the way over here?"

"Sorry about that, Shauna," said Serena. "My Rhyhorn went crazy and then I ended up over here."

The short boy walked over toward Brendan and Dawn.

"Who are these guys?"

"These are my friends, Trevor," said Serena. "I met them and we were just catching up. This is Brendan, Dawn, May, and Ash."

"Ash?" said Shauna. "I remember you talking about a guy named-"

Serena had jumped up and covered her mouth.

"That was another Ash!"

_"Another Ash?"_ thought Dawn as she sweat-dropped.

The large boy walked over toward Ash and looked down at him. His close presence made Ash remove the ice bag and look back at him.

"I remember seeing you before."

"Can you not get that close?" asked Ash.

"But I can't put my finger on it."

"Please don't."

"Well, you don't act like someone I know."

"Lucky you."

Sparks formed between them as Trevor tried pulling the large boy away.

"Not now, Tierno!"

"It's nice to meet you people," said Shauna.

"Likewise," said Dawn.

Shauna turned to Serena.

"Are they going to participate in the race?" she asked.

"What race?" asked Brendan.

"Oh, I thought you guys already knew," said Serena.

"We just came into this village," said May.

"Well, there's a race that's going to take place in this village," said Serena. "It's called The Rhyhorn Race. Self explanatory by what it is by its name. People just have to take their Rhyhorns and race on a path that exits the village and comes back from the other side. We've entered this village four days ago, and we were practicing this whole time for it."

"When is it?" asked Brendan.

"It's in two days," said Shauna. "You guys should join."

"We don't have Rhyhorns, though," said May.

"Doesn't matter. They provide you with a tamed one if you don't have your own. We're all going. You should too."

"Not feeling it," said Ash. "I was just hoping to leave right after. I don't feel like wasting time here."

"What's the rush?" asked Tierno.

"None of your beeswax," retorted Ash.

May hit him on the arm.

"Don't be mean, Ash," said May. "It could be fun."

"It is," said Trevor. "They also have a sweet prize."

"We don't know the prize, though," said Shauna.

"I do," said Trevor. "The friend of my cousin's teacher's dog-sitter has a friend that is the announcer of the race. He told me the prize."

He pulled Tierno, Ash and Brendan in and whispered into their ears.

Hearing it, Brendan and Tierno's eyes lit on fire as Ash sat blankly in the background.

"We're entering!" exclaimed Brendan.

"I will definitely win this thing!" exclaimed Tierno.

"Fine," said Ash.

The girls watched, feeling left out.

"Um...are you going to at least tell us?" asked Serena.

* * *

Later on, they were all near a lake. It was an open grassy area within a park.

Due to the kids not knowing how to properly ride Rhyhorns, Serena and her friends offered

Ash and his friends lessons. Serena, Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna each had a Rhyhorn, and they gave them to the other four kids for practice.

Ash was flown into the air, and he crashed down on the ground hard.

"Ash!" called out Serena, and she ran toward the boy. Her Rhyhorn had just tossed Ash off of it.

Dawn nervously got on top of Shauna's Rhyhorn, and it rose up slowly not to scare her.

"Calm down, Dawn," said Shauna. "To ride such a fierce Pokemon, you must understand it. You both must trust each other. Keep your mind calm, and the Pokemon will keep calm as well. It will mimic the emotion you're feeling. Just calm down and you'll be alright."

Dawn slowly nodded, and eased up a little. Rhyhorn breathed out, and it completely got up and stood obediently.

"Good, good, you're almost there," said Shauna.

"I don't want to be thrown off," said Dawn. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

"I'm already getting the hang of it," said Brendan with a smug look. His eyes were emerald green.

"That's cheating!"

May was riding on top of Trevor's Rhyhorn with a large smile on her face. The Rhyhorn was being obedient, so she had no problems at all.

"This is easy," said May.

"You're doing what took me months to do," said Trevor. "How?"

"Ha!" said May. "Let's ride, Rhyhorn!"

Rhyhorn leaped up into the sky and ran with May around the lake.

Ash was once again tossed into the air by Serena's Rhyhorn. His head hit the ground, and he held it as he squirmed in pain. Ash angrily looked at Rhyhorn. He stood and threateningly looked at it as he got closer.

"Listen you son of a bi-"

"Ash."

Ash turned and saw Serena with her arms crossed. Ash simply patted Rhyhorn's head.

"Are you alright?" asked Serena. "You seem really stressed out. Do you want to go on a break?"

"No," said Ash, and he quickly hopped above Rhyhorn. "I'll learn to ride this thing by the end of today! This I swear! Let's go!"

Rhyhorn roared, and it started jumping up and down furiously while Ash tried to hold on.

Serena sighed, and then she noticed May with Trevor's Rhyhorn slowly stopping behind her.

"Hey May, what's wrong with Ash?"

"Ash?" said May, and then she smiled. "Ash is just thinking of things. Just let him do his thinking and then he'll get over it. It's nothing to worry about. Let's ride, Rhyhorn!"

Rhyhorn roared, and they raced away.

Serena sighed and then looked back at Ash. She saw him fly off her Rhyhorn and crash onto the ground once again.

* * *

The day of the event came quickly. They had been preparing for this moment.

The starting line was by the exit of the village. People crowded around, cheering outside the path. They shot rockets that rained down confetti from where they stood.

At the starting line were people on top of their Rhyhorns. Some were owned, some were rentals. They just had to be Rhyhorns to participate in this race.

On that starting line, there stood at least fifty or more people.

Dawn looked at them from on top of her Rhyhorn and smiled nervously.

"There sure are a whole lot of competition," said Dawn.

"I guess they all want what these people are offering," said Shauna. "I hear this village gives away perfect prizes. It's fun."

"Too bad Trevor and Tierno couldn't participate, though," said Serena.

Tierno and Trevor were among the group of people gathered around the track. They looked pale, and they had blankets over their bodies. Their noses were runny, and they sneezed occasionally.

"That's what they get for swimming in that lake when it was cold," said Shauna. "They will just have to miss out."

Serena giggled, and then she looked over at Ash and his Rhyhorn. The boy looked beaten up, and he was crouched forward. Pikachu was on his shoulder. May was by him with her Rhyhorn.

"Are you sure you've got this, Ash?" asked Serena. "It might be dangerous."

"Yeah, I've got this under control," said Ash. "I'm gonna win no matter what!"

"Do you want me to stay by you?" asked May.

"If you do that, I swear I'll ditch you the first chance I get."

Serena had doubts, but she chose to believe in Ash.

Everyone's attention turned to the announcer that stood in front of them all with a microphone in his hand.

"Good morning, everybody!" he yelled out. "Are you ready for this?!"

The crowd cheered loudly.

"I hope you've all had fun with the festivities this week! It would be perfect to end it with a race. It is time for the tenth annual Rhyhorn Race. Like every year, participants will race around Odyssey Village with their Rhyhorns to reign victorious over their opponents. First, as soon as you exit the village, you shall make your way into the Wickwack Forest. You exit that, and then you will enter the Muddy Path near the village where mud puddles lay everywhere, once you exit that, you will make your way around and race toward the village once again. Be careful out there. There are no obstacles, but lose even the slightest focus, and you'll be sent flying. Remember, once you are off your Rhyhorn, you are out of the race. Do you understand?"

The crowd cheered once again, and the participants nodded.

The announcer rose his hand.

"Then let us begin!" he said. "On three!"

"One..."

"Win it for us, girls!" called out Tierno.

"Don't give up!" called out Trevor.

"Two..."

The participants were ready. They looked forward.

Ash held onto his Rhyhorn tightly.

"Thr-"

Ash's Rhyhorn jumped up into the air as Ash yelled out. Everyone watched him go, and then the announcer looked back at the people.

"Three!"

Like monsters, the participants yelled out and their Rhyhorns rode off into the race. They had determination to win, and they were each certain they were going to win.

Except for Brendan.

Brendan's Rhyhorn was sleeping on the ground. Brendan had not noticed it, and then he slowly looked down at the Pokemon.

"Um...Rhyhorn?"

* * *

Serena and her Rhyhorn raced through the bushes, branches, and trees that blocked their vision. This was the Wickwack Forest, where the trees were too close together, and it was hard to stay within the path when it was hard to see and when people were too conscious, thinking that they should head off the track to find an easier path past the trees, they screw up.

Serena was focused, and she kept her eyes focused on the path in front of her, guiding her Rhyhorn. She easily avoided trees and whenever there was an obstacle she couldn't dodge, she ordered Rhyhorn to knock them down.

_"Everything is going well," _she thought. _"I love it when my competitive spirit opens up! I'm going to win this!"_

She had already seen many people get knocked out of the race so far, so she began to wonder.

_"How are the others doing?"_

She heard a faint yell, and when she looked toward the sky, she saw Ash and his Rhyhorn crashing onto the ground and jumping high up again. She could see Ash holding onto Rhyhorn with all his might, just so he wouldn't fall off.

She sweat-dropped.

_"I guess they're doing fine."_

* * *

Brendan was patting his Rhyhorn on the back. It was still sleeping.

"Come on, Rhyhorn! The race started!"

Rhyhorn slowly opened its eye, but then it shut it.

"Oh come on!"

* * *

Ash had finally gained control of his Pokemon. Rhyhorn was racing down the path they were in now. Currently, he was on the Muddy Path.

Rhyhorn was going at full speed, so Ash had to hold on tightly.

He had a large, evil smirk on his face.

"What did I tell you, huh?! What did I freaking tell you?! I knew I'd gain control of a Rhyhorn! It's fucking easy! Now I've got this, and now I'm going to fucking win!"

"Ash!" called out Serena from behind.

Ash turned back and gave her a smirk that almost caused her to fall off her Rhyhorn.

"Hey, Serena! Look at me now! I'm controlling it!"

"Um...sure," said Serena, giving him a nervous smile.

"You better catch up, because you're about to eat my dust!"

"Hey, Ash," said May, right next to him with her Rhyhorn.

"H-How the hell did you get here?!" asked Ash.

"Geez, you have to be more careful when riding a Rhyhorn," said Serena, who was on the other side of him, shocking Ash yet again.

"I was ahead of you!" he yelled.

"You better be careful, Ash," said May. "You might fall off."

"No I won't!"

"She's right," said Serena. "You're losing your focus."

"I am focused!"

"You're going to die if you fall off it," said May.

"Like hell I would!"

"Be careful for that turn," said Serena.

"What turn?!"

True enough, a turn was near the end of the straight path.

"Be focused," said May and Serena simultaneously.

"I AM FOCUSED!" yelled Ash.

Next second, he was launched into the sky with Rhyhorn.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

When he was gone, May and Serena sighed. They looked at each other and smiled.

"He should've listened to us," said Serena.

"Yeah," said May. "Now there's no way he could win."

"Ha! Now we're alone together."

"Yeah, but remember that I don't intend you let us tie."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. It's obvious I will win this."

"That's funny, because I was pretty sure I was going to win."

"Oh, May. There's no need to be so hopeful, like you wanting to finally grow out a chest."

"Unlike your hope to finally achieve a good fashion sense."

Their smiles suddenly turned into death glares.

Slowly, their Rhyhorns got faster, and faster, and faster. Their glares pierced the other, and they weren't going to let the other win.

Suddenly, when they were close enough, they started to have a slap fight, shocking their Rhyhorns.

Then, the Rhyhorns didn't make the turn and fell off the track. They were falling down a downward hill. They placed their feet on the ground to slow down. At the bottom was a large, deep mud puddle.

They stopped, but the momentum caused the girls on their backs to fall off and go into the deep puddle.

Serena popped out from the surface of the mud, covered in it. She looked toward the sky and saw Ash yelling as his Rhyhorn continued going on its rampage.

She sighed.

_"Aw man."_

Like a cat pouncing on its prey, May jumped out of the mud and attacked Serena, making them both fall back into the mud.

* * *

Dawn and Shauna were the only two girls out of all their friends that weren't having problems at all. They had an easy race, chatting with each other the whole way back.

"Dawn, look!" motioned Shauna. "The finish line!"

Dawn looked ahead, and she saw the large sign with the words "FINISH" on it.

"It's actually the end!" exclaimed Dawn. "And the people are still cheering! That means we are the first ones here, right?"

"That means one of us is going to beat the other," said Shauna.

Dawn smirked and nodded.

"Bring it!"

The made their Rhyhorns go faster. They neared the finish line with each passing second, and all they could think about was beating the other.

"I'm going to win!" they both yelled.

Three hundred feet from the finish line they were, until Ash and his Rhyhorn came from the sky and crashed down onto them.

The impact had caused smoke to lift itself up into the air.

Ash's eye slowly opened up as the smoke started to disperse. The cheering was silenced.

Ash looked up, and he saw Dawn and Shauna off their Rhyhorns with swirls in their eyes.

He looked forward and saw the finish line.

He looked at his fallen Rhyhorn, and his eyes widened.

He was technically still attached to his Pokemon. It was turned aside, but Ash was still on it and holding onto it.

"Get up, Rhyhorn!"

Rhyhorn slowly opened its eyes.

"We've still got a chance to win this thing," said Ash. "Please get up!"

Rhyhorn slowly looked toward the finish line.

"Come on, we can't give up just yet, just when we still have a chance to win!"

It slowly got up, and Ash continued to hold on.

"Let's win this thing, you and me!" yelled Ash. "We've got this! We can win this thing!"

"Pika!"

Rhyhorn slowly walked toward the finish line. They were getting closer and closer to victory.

"Yeah, that's it! You can do it!"

Rhyhorn roared and continued on.

"Almost there!"

Its feet were only inches from the finish line now.

"One more!"

Finally, Rhyhorn had crossed it.

The people started cheering again.

Ash rose his hands up into the air and yelled out in victory.

"I won, bitches!"

He hopped off his Rhyhorn and extended his hand out for a high five. Rhyhorn gave it to him.

"Thanks, man!"

Ash then ran off toward the announcer. When Ash got to him, the announcer slowly turned to Ash.

"What do you want, kid?" he asked.

"I won!" yelled Ash. "Give me my prize!"

"Your prize?"

"Yeah, I won!"

"No you didn't."

Ash's smirk slowly formed into shock.

"What?"

"That kid won," said the announcer. He pointed toward a boy that was standing above the highest platform. Two other random people stood on the lower platforms that resembled second and third place.

But first place was a complete surprise.

Ash's mouth opened up, and then Dawn and Shauna's mouths opened up.

Standing in first place was none other than Brendan.

"Hey guys," said Brendan. "What took you so long?"

"How did you-"

"I have my ways."

* * *

After a while, when everyone returned from the race, the prizes were ready to be distributed. Everyone crowded around Brendan and the announcer, a seemingly large thing hid underneath a cover.

Tierno and Trevor looked toward May and Serena, who were covered in blankets and having traces of mud on their bodies. They were slouching down on a chair with blank expressions.

"What happened to you two?" asked Tierno.

"I don't know," said May.

"I have absolutely no idea what came over me," said Serena.

Ash was slouching down on a chair as well, and his face showed an expression of someone who was ready to kill a whole group of people.

Pikachu was patting his head.

"Now, it is time for the grand prize to be given," said the announcer next to Brendan. "To end this festival of fun, we shall end it with this."

He placed his hand on the cover that was covering the prize.

Everyone was quiet.

Everyone kept their eyes on the prize.

It was finally going to be revealed.

"NOW!" yelled the announcer, and he removed the cover.

Eyes widened, mouths dropped, and mouths were covered.

"I knew it!" yelled Trevor.

Underneath that cover was, surprisingly, porno magazines.

With ten boxes that held ten each, this was a paradise for every man.

"Wow," said May.

Serena's face was bright as a tomato.

Tierno and Trevor were cheering.

Ash was still pissed off.

Brendan had frozen.

Dawn and Shauna watched in horror.

"What kind of joke is this?!" yelled Shauna.

"Brendan is not accepting that!" yelled Dawn.

Brendan watched, and then his eyes sparkled.

"This...is...beautiful," he said quietly, and then he extended out his hands. "Give it to me!"

Two fists crashed onto his face, and he fell to the ground with swirls in his eyes. Dawn and Shauna walked off angrily.

"We're out of here," said Shauna.

"Brendan, we're leaving," said Dawn.

"I-It was...a joke," said Brendan.

The announcer watched, and his eyes blinked a couple of times.

"So...are you taking it or not?"

* * *

Serena yawned.

It was late at night, and she was within the Pokemon Center. She had on her pink pants and a white shirt with a heart on it. Her hair was let down.

She was walking in a hallway toward her room. This Pokemon Center allowed trainers to have their own rooms. Her room was just at the end of the hallway.

While she walked there, she passed by Ash's room, and she noticed that it wasn't closed all the way.

_"Huh?"_ she thought. She went for the door and slowly opened it.

"Hey, Ash..."

Her eyes widened and her face was reddened. Ash was sitting on his bed, staring down at May who was sprawled all over it.

_"Wh-What is he doing?!"_

She stayed like that until Ash looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"N-Nothing!" she said quickly while turning around. "Good night!"

"Good night," said Ash, and he looked back down at May.

Serena was about to leave, but then stopped. She slowly looked back at Ash.

He was glum.

She stared at him, and then turned back to him and walked closer.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Ash.

"You've been pretty stressed out today," she said. "If you've got anything that's wrong, you can come to me."

There was silence.

"I know."

"Huh?"

"I remember you," said Ash. "I remember you now."

Serena stared at him, and then she started to blush furiously.

"Wh-what?!" she said as she placed her hands on both sides of her face. "When?!"

"When I hit my head."

"Oh, um, okay."

Ash looked up at her.

_"Yeah, I remember."_

"Um...Serena..."

"Yeah?"

"What if you know somebody, somebody you've known for so long, that starts acting differently toward you? Like, this person gets more and more different until this person finally changes completely. By changing completely, I mean that this person starts to do bad things. Horrible things to other people. H-How would you take care of it?"

"Excuse me?"

"What would you do if this person fell too deep into being bad, and you feel responsible for it, so you want to help them, but you can't. What would you do?"

"What I would do?" asked Serena.

Then she smiled.

"I would keep helping them, of course," said Serena. "There is always a little light within everyone. I would keep digging deeper until I find that light. That's how I would take care of it."

"But...you can't. If you try, you might end up killing them, or they might kill you."

"Doesn't matter," said Serena. "I will find a way. Even if that light is atom sized, it still means that person still has a chance to be redeemed. I have no right to give up if it means protecting someone I care about, right?"

Ash stared at her, and then smiled while looking back down at May.

"Right."

Serena smiled back.

There was silence now, but then May's loud snoring ruined it. She mumbled something, turned over, and slept again.

"By the way," said Serena. "Were you watching her sleep?"

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

* * *

It was now the next morning. The kids were all gathered at the exit of the village. Ash's group were all prepared.

"We'll be going now," said Brendan. "Let's try to cover some ground before the sun sets."

"You guys be careful," said Dawn.

"We should be saying that to you," said Shauna.

"We'll be in this village a bit longer before leaving," said Trevor.

"Just make sure you don't get into too much trouble," said Serena. "I'm going to be traveling with these guys for a bit longer. I hope to see you guys again."

"And next time we meet, we're having a Pokemon battle," said Tierno.

"See ya," said May as she waved goodbye to them.

Ash looked at Serena, and she looked back. He smiled, and then he turned around to leave, and the others followed.

Serena sighed, and then called out.

"May, take care of Ash for me!"

"I always do!" responded May.

"I don't need to be taken care of," said Ash.

"Yes you do, you big dork," said May.

They got farther and farther, and Serena felt more and more relieved.

"So, are you guys going to explain what I found this morning?" asked Shauna. Tierno and Trevor were looking away with hands behind their backs.

"There's nothing to say," say Tierno.

"Yeah, we're innocent," said Trevor.

"What happened?" asked Serena.

"I walked into their room this morning and I found ten boxes of porno magazines! The magazines that were supposed to be Brendan's!"

"He didn't want it!" yelled Trevor. Tierno hit him on his back.

"Dude, shut up!"

_"You guys actually took them?" _thought Serena.

"What confuses me is that I found one box with three missing," said Shauna. "Where are they?"

"I don't know," said Trevor.

"No idea," said Tierno.

Serena sighed.

_"Oh brother."_

* * *

Ash, Brendan, May, and Dawn continued walking along the path.

"Where are we headed to next?" asked Dawn.

"It's a city at least a week from here," said Brendan. "We should get there in four days if we don't have too many distractions."

May was looking inside her bag, and then she turned to Ash.

"Ash, I think I left my favorite brush in your bag. Can I check?"

"Why would you put it in my bag?"

"Because I'm too lazy to put it mine."

Ash sighed.

"Fine," he said. May stood behind him and prepared to open his bag, but Ash moved away.

"Um...I'll check."

"Alright," said May.

Ash took his bag and opened it. He moved aside his blanket, his daily equipment, three porno magazines, and snacks until he found her brush.

He took it and handed it to her.

"Thanks," said May, and she took it and proceeded to brush her hair.

Ash sighed and placed his backpack on.

_"That was close."_

**(Ending song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** A chance encounter with Gary now makes Drew Hayden suspicious of his actions. The times when the three boys could laugh and play are destroyed, and there is no way for those times to return, or maybe there is. How will Drew get involved now, and how will it influence Ash's view of his old friend, Gary Oak? **Next Time: Shattered Memories.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Let me remind you that I don't have any intention to have May and Serena fight over Ash at any point in Pokemon Heroes. Whenever they do fight, it will be on their own terms, and it will either be playful or not. Also, I hope you guys understood when why Tierno thought he met Ash before :). See you next week!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 3,275)**


	21. Shattered Memories

**This is the one hundred fifty-fifth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. We're nearing the final battle in this season. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening Song)**

_"Crystal!"_

The girl's sweaty head jerked left and right, and her teeth were pushed into each other.

_"Don't hurt her!"_

"Gold..."

The word escaped her mouth, and she groaned.

_"Be careful! Crystal!"_

"Gold, " she said, and her eyes jerked open.

She placed a tired hand on her forehead. She could see that she was within the forest within a pink sleeping bag. The sun was down, and the fire by her provided her heat as the cold winds brushed past her.

_"What happened?" _she thought.

She wore a yellow beanie, a white short jacket, and a red shirt underneath. She wore yellow bike shorts and white and red shoes. Her black hair fell from both sides of her face, and it went upward at the end.

This was Crystal, a girl from New Bark Town. She was on her journey and had been alongside a boy named Gold for a long time now.

She felt a presence near her, and she slowly turned to see who it was.

"Go-"

Her face was then covered in shock.

It was not Gold that sat behind her.

It was Drew, going through her bag, having a honey bun within his mouth with another unopened one in his hand.

He stared at her, and they sat in silence for a while. Drew slowly removed the honey bun in his mouth, chewed the piece that remained, swallowed, and then blinked a few times before he cleared his throat.

"Um...hey. So yeah...this happened. I can explain, I mean I can just buy you new ones. I got bored, found them, ate them, but not on purpose. I...um...thought they were mine."

Crystal didn't respond. Her shock remained.

"Yeah...so...you know what. Forget it. Forget it. I don't need it anymore."

He placed the unopened one back in her bag. He cleared his throat again.

"So...how ya doing?"

Still no response. Drew took the unopened bun, opened it, and proceeded to have another snack.

**Shattered Memories**

* * *

In some other part in the forest, within an open area as the risen sun lit up the area, a boy slept. He slowly opened his eyes, and he sat up slowly. He was sluggish. He noticed that his red jacket and hat were to the side, leaving him with his black t-shirt and yellow shorts. He moved his hand through his ruffled hair and yawned, and then he looked around.

His eye immediately set itself upon two other kids.

One was a boy with a red open jacket and a black t-shirt. He had on black jeans. His red hat was upon his black spiky hair that struck out.

The other was a girl who was physically smaller, but she was older than all of them. She simply wore a black shirt under a yellow dress. She wore a large hat to hide a blonde ponytail, so from a distance, she might appear to be a boy.

They seemed to be eating breakfast, and their attention turned to the boy that just woke up.

"Hey, Gold," said the boy eating breakfast. "You feeling alright? We found you with your head buried into the ground."

Gold looked to them, blinked a few times, and then looked around.

"Red? Yellow?" he said. "How did I get here?"

"Didn't I just tell you we found you with your head buried into the ground?"

"Why were you in that situation anyway?" asked Yellow. "By the way. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Where's Crystal?" asked Gold.

"Crystal?" said Red. "Oh yeah. I forgot you actually have a friend."

"We didn't find anyone with you," said Yellow. "You were alone."

"Alone?" said Gold. A few seconds of silence, and his eyes widened as he let out a shriek.

"You just lost all of your manhood in a matter of seconds," said Red.

"I lost her," said Gold, and he quickly stood up and frantically looked around. "I actually lost her! Oh Arceus! Her mom will kill me!"

"Of course YOU would lose someone," said Red.

"I don't have time to be fighting with you right now!"

"Where were you before?" asked Yellow.

Gold placed his hand on his head and thought.

"I don't remember the details that well, but I just remember entering some kind of ruins with her," said Gold. "We triggered something, we were attacked by something, and then an explosion. That's it."

"There are some ruins in the area," said Yellow. "It's empty. How did you trigger something?"

"I don't remember," said Gold as he started putting his clothes back on. "But somewhere along the way, I lost Crystal, and I need to find her and make sure she's okay."

Red and Yellow looked at each other, and then Yellow nodded with a smile. She looked back at Gold.

"We'll help," she said.

"Yeah, we'll help find her, but I'm just doing it to laugh as she bitches at you for losing her in the first place," said Red.

"I said I'll fight with you later," said Gold while glaring at Red after placing his hat on.

* * *

Ash looked out from the top of the large rock that sat on the edge of a rocky cliff. The view was grand, showing trees that stood on the ground below, and the mountains that rose far ahead.

He looked back at the others.

"Did you figure it out yet?" asked Ash.

"Still trying," said May, turning the map around over and over again.

"Just admit that we're lost," said Ash.

"We're not lost," said May. "We're...um...taking a shortcut."

"And this is what happens when we leave you with the map," said Ash.

"That's not fair! This map is confusing! There's this thing and that thing."

"That's a tree," said Brendan.

"A tree? That doesn't look like a tree to me. That looks like a hill. This illustrator must not know his landmarks."

"Then how about looking at the legend next time!" yelled Ash.

"What's a legend?"

"Guys, guys, chill," said Brendan, and he took the map away from May and handed it to Dawn. "We'll just turn back and find our way into the right path," said Brendan. "There is no reason to argue. Which way did we come from?"

Ash and May pointed in opposite directions. They looked at each other, and then lowered their heads.

"I guess we're lost then," said Brendan.

Dawn looked at the map, and then she turned to Brendan.

"This isn't even the right map."

* * *

Gary stood over Misty. Her bruises were healing up, but she was still unconscious.

It had already been two weeks since the incident, but she still wasn't conscious yet.

Gary's face had shown nothing. He simply just stared at her.

Sephiroth, walking past the room, quickly looked back in and saw Gary.

"Hey, boy," said Sephiroth as he proceeded to walk in. "How are you?"

Gary turned his head toward Sephiroth slowly.

"Has she woken up yet?"

"Nope," said Sephiroth, and now he stood over his niece. "The bolts of electricity you sent coursing through her whole body really dealt some damage. It's a surprise that she's not dead after taking that. Her body isn't built for it. I've been feeding her and providing her drinks. You won't have to worry about her."

"I'm not worried."

"Of course you're not," said Sephiroth. "What about you though? You've been training a lot lately. I haven't sent you on a mission in three days. You haven't complained once. Finally accepting a break?"

"Training helps me pass the time until you send me on a damn mission," said Gary.

"Well not anymore," said Sephiroth. "I've prepared a mission for you. Are you free?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Yes. I guess you're just not a joyful person."

"Just tell me the details."

"Okay, okay," said Sephiroth. "This is a retrieval mission. It has nothing to do with me. It'll help you, and especially Misty."

Sephiroth could tell he got Gary's full attention now.

"The mission is within an unnamed forest. There are ruins hidden in it, and I wanted you to go and retrieve what was inside it."

"Wanted?"

"Yeah. You see, the ruins were already infiltrated," said Sephiroth. "These ruins have rock golems scattered throughout it, so obtaining the special item would be...troublesome. Two kids had entered it, but they were blown away within ten minutes. But-"

"But?"

"But they took the item," said Sephiroth. "Too bad, right? That was just pure luck, though. I'm actually surprised."

"What did they take?"

"A healing scroll," said Sephiroth. "The scroll has a spell that can heal someone of any injury or sickness within seconds. I may need that immediately."

"And how does that help Misty?"

Sephiroth nervously scratched his cheek with his finger.

"When I told you she was getting better, I meant her outside injuries," said Sephiroth. "Inside, she's not. Your power damaged her heart. The shock has now caused her heart to beat abnormally. If she's not treated immediately, she could wake up in a poor state. She won't be able to do the things she does before, and soon she might just die."

"Then bring her to a hospital," said Gary, putting an angry emphasis on hospital.

"They'll only get as far as I did," said Sephiroth. "She may be hooked up to a machine for a long time. They'll just drug her and perform surgery on her. Would you want that?"

Gary didn't respond.

"I guess you understand then," said Sephiroth. "I have tracked down the person who holds the scroll. They are still within the forest. Take it by force. Don't allow witnesses."

Gary sighed.

"Fine," he said.

"Good," said Sephiroth. "You will go within fifteen minutes. I'll send you to an area where they should walk by. Ambush them there. Understand?"

"Understood."

"Good," said Sephiroth.

Gary looked at Misty once more, and then walked off.

After he left, Sephiroth looked at Misty, revealed a smug smile, and then walked off.

* * *

"I say we go this way," said Brendan, pointing at the map that was spread out before Dawn, May, and he.

"No, we should go the opposite way," said Dawn. "That makes it a shortcut."

"It may be a shortcut, but it's not a good place to walk past. It would be wiser to go the other way."

"That'll take us another day, and I already don't like being here."

"How about we go through here then?" asked May.

"May...that's a lake," said Dawn.

"A lake?" asked May. "That definitely is a car."

"Why would a car be out here?" asked Brendan. "And that doesn't even send us the right way."

"We're going in that direction, right?"

"No, we're heading east."

"East? I thought you said weast."

Ash sat on the same rock, looking toward them and had his eyes closed. He just waited for them to come to a decision so they could be on their way quicker.

Pikachu slowly looked toward the sky.

"Pika!"

Ash was shocked back into reality, and he looked at his partner.

"What is it?"

"Pika Pi!"

Pikachu directed Ash's gaze toward the sky. Ash looked, and he saw a Pokemon clad in metal soaring across the sky at an amazing speed, but Ash's look slowed it down and watched it go by slowly.

It was a Skarmory, and Pikachu had recognized its scent.

"That's Gary's?" asked Ash. "Are you sure?"

Pikachu nodded.

"Alright!"

Ash quickly stood and looked toward Skarmory. May noticed him standing up and turned to him.

"What's wrong?"

"You guys stay here," said Ash. "I'll be back!"

He jumped off the cliff, and fell into the trees below them.

"What?" asked Brendan.

* * *

Drew walked with his hands in his pockets, and a face of someone beyond annoyed. He walked quietly along the rocky path that attached itself to the side of a high rocky area.

_"She better not be..."_

He slowly turned around, and he saw Crystal behind him with a disgusted looked on her face.

She had been following him.

"You know, if you don't want to be near me, you can just leave."

Crystal didn't respond. She just stared at him with the same look of disgust.

"Um...I said you can just leave," said Drew. "Are you alright?"

He slowly walked toward her, but she jumped up and moved back as fast as she could.

"St-Stay away from me you psychopathic maniac!" she yelled.

Drew turned around, and the same look of annoyance reappeared on his face.

"What the hell is wrong with you anyway?!" she asked. "I've only been with you for two hours and already I've seen you fall off a cliff, get attacked by a bunch of Ariados, and then get dragged into a fight with Primeapes! How are you still alive?"

Drew started thinking.

"Luck, I guess."

"Luck?! Don't screw with me!"

She then cowered into a corner on her knees while having her hands clasped together.

"Where are you, idiot? Why'd you have to leave me with this guy? You better not be having one hell of a good time while I stay here in fear!"

"Then leave," said Drew.

"I can't! I don't know where I am!"

"Oh Arceus," said Drew. "Look, how about I help you find this person so you can get off my ba-I mean, so you can feel safer."

"You'd do that?" asked Crystal, and it seemed like she had calmed down.

"Why not," said Drew. "Tell me his name."

"It's Gold."

"Gold?" asked Drew, and the wrinkles on his forehead was showing how deep in thought he was.

"You know, Gold?!" exclaimed Crystal, coming closer, and with each step a smile grew bigger on her face.

"Gold..."

Then joy emanated from his body.

"Money."

"I'll find him myself!" yelled Crystal, and she stormed off.

"Okay then," said Drew, closing his eyes and turning around and walking the other way. "Have fun in the wild, bitch."

He took a few steps before opening his eyes immediately, turning around, running to Crystal and tackling her to the ground.

Seconds later, a powerful thunderbolt crashed down onto the spot Crystal was previously standing at.

* * *

The thunderbolt's crashing to the ground caused the ground to shake violently. Red, Gold, and Yellow fell forward until the earthquake beneath them ended.

When it did, Yellow rose up quickly, quickly climbed up a tree, and looked out.

"What the hell was that?" asked Red.

"An attack of some sort," said Yellow. "It's in an area with Pokemon. They might've be hurt. We should get over there and check. Let's go!"

She jumped off the tree and started running away.

"I'm right behind ya!" yelled Red, and he rose and followed.

"Hey, what about Crystal?" asked Gold.

"We'll find her, but now we have to take care of the problem in front of us!" yelled Yellow without turning back. Red turned back to Gold and motioned for him to come.

Gold looked at the path behind him, and then looked back at Red and nodded.

"Fine!"

He rose up and ran after them.

* * *

Ash saw the smoke that rose from that area the large thunderbolt struck.

He stared at it, frozen on top the large tree he was standing on.

Pikachu, on his shoulder, slowly looked toward Ash.

"Pika?"

Ash was pushed back into reality, and he slowly looked at Pikachu.

"It is Gary. It definitely is."

"Pika Pi?"

"You know what I'm gonna do," said Ash, and then his fist crashed against his palm. "I'm gonna go over there and knock some sense into that idiot."

He then jumped off the tree, and headed for his destination.

* * *

The smoke covered the area.

Drew held his arm up to his nose to prevent himself from breathing it in. He reached for his Pokeballs on his belt.

He tossed two, and out came Absol and Flygon.

"Flygon, remove the smoke!" ordered Drew. With a screech, Flygon started to furiously flap its wings, and the winds pushed away the smoke from them easily.

"What just happened?" asked Crystal while she tried getting back up. " Is it your fault?"

"And there you go pushing the blame to me," said Drew. He kept his eyes focused, looking around for the suspect that caused this.

And then his eyes finally settled upon someone above them on a rocky ledge on the side of a high rocky landform.

Drew's glare suddenly turned into a goofy smile.

"Gary!" he called out.

True enough, Gary Oak was on that ledge, looking down at them. He didn't even acknowledge Drew's existence.

"Why are you ignoring me G-Dog?" asked Drew. "I'm right here! I am the one speaking to you right now!"

"Why are you socializing with the guy who just attacked us?" asked Crystal. "Are you not aware of that?!"

"Oh yeah, he did try to attack us," said Drew, and he placed a finger on his chin. He then turned back to Crystal and shrugged.

"Must've gotten in the way of target practice."

"Target practice?!" asked Crystal. "What level of dumb are you?!"

"Level 3, but I'm slowly working my way up to level 4."

Gary jumped off the ledge and landed in front of Drew. Drew looked at him and spread out his arms.

"And he came down for a hug. How nice."

Gary removed his sword from the sheath. His foot pushed itself against the ground, and then he propelled himself forward.

Drew opened his arms wider and smiled, but he wasn't going to receive his hug.

He noticed Gary was heading farther to the right, where Crystal, who watched him come closer and closer with wide eyes, was.

"Huh?"

Gary prepared his sword to strike, but suddenly, Drew moved more to the right so he stood in the way of Gary. Gary thought fast, and he directed his foot to Drew's side.

Drew was launched toward the side of the large rocky landform. His face crashed onto it first, and then he fell to the ground.

"Um, Gary, you're supposed to hug me with your arms," he said.

"He was your friend!" yelled Crystal. She was silenced after the tip of Gary's blade was brought inches from her face.

"Hand over the scroll," ordered Gary.

"Scroll?"

"Hand it over now! I don't have time!"

"I-I don't have a-"

Gary rose his sword, but his wrist was grabbed by Drew. He turned to the boy, and they stared at each other.

"Be careful where you're swinging that," said Drew. "You could cut someone."

Gary forcefully pulled his hand away, and then elbowed the boy on the face. Drew fell to the ground while holding onto his face.

"Were you not at some ruins in this area?!" asked Gary.

"I...I don't really remember what I did last night," said Crystal.

"Don't play dumb with me."

"Here," said Crystal, and she slowly took out her bag and rummaged through it. "I'll show you I don't have it. Just calm down and-"

She pulled out the scroll, the rolled up scroll with wooden sides and indestructible soft paper. She stared at it for a while, and slowly looked at Gary.

"This?"

Gary swung his sword downward at her, but she quickly moved out of the way. She rolled across the ground, and then she reached for her Pokeballs as she came to a quick stop.

"What's your problem?" she asked while standing up. "If you want this scroll so badly, it must not be for a good reason. You realize I can't just let you have it now."

Gary turned to her and used his power to dash toward her at lightning speed. She didn't have time to throw the Pokeball, Gary had already delivered a kick to her gut.

She was sent into the air, but she didn't land on the ground.

Drew's Flygon dashed through the air and caught her in midair. It soared up into the sky with Crystal on its back.

Gary looked up at it, and he prepared to strike.

"Listen, buddy," said Drew while still rubbing onto his face, and Gary's attention was now directed to him. "I don't know if you're on your man period or something, but you're not being you right now."

Drew's hands were removed from his face, and a smile was still present.

"So how about you put that sword down for a bit and we can just talk this out."

Gary didn't have time for a conversation.

He suddenly appeared in front of Drew and he swung the sword downward toward Drew's head, but the boy's reflexes moved him back. Gary swung upward immediately, but Drew had moved back once again. Gary swung his sword sideways, but Drew bent his back far enough so he could place his hands on the ground, though this action caused a cracking sound to come from his back, and Drew squealed.

With him like this, Gary could get a clean cut with his sword, but suddenly Drew's Absol jumped over its trainer and attacked Gary with Razor Wind, sending blades of wind at him, but Gary jumped back, avoiding them.

He took out a Pokeball quickly and released Electivire, who used Thunderpunch on Absol while in midair after being released.

Absol was pushed back on the ground. It created a Shadow Ball and launched it at Electivire, but the large Pokemon easily knocked it aside. It crashed its fist into the ground and used Shockwave, sending jolts of electricity at Absol.

It jumped into the air and used Psycho Cut with its horn to strike Electivire, but Electivire used Thunderbolt to strike Absol in midair.

Crystal watched from the sky with Flygon rubbing her stomach, the place Gary struck.

"Let me down there!" she yelled. "He's after me! I'll fight him!"

Flygon shook its head, but then it sensed something and quickly moved out of the way before Skarmory struck it with Steel Wing, dashing right past.

"What the heck?!" exclaimed Crystal.

Flygon used Dragonbreath, but Skarmory dodged that and tried striking Flygon again. Flygon proceeded to dodge and fly away, but Skarmory was too fast, and there were many close calls.

Drew looked up after fixing his back and saw the new opponent.

"That's yours?!" asked Drew to Gary. "What's so special about that scroll anyway?!"

His talking had distracted him, for Gary drove a lightning powered fist into his gut, sending him toward the rocky landform. He crashed onto it, and then fell to the ground while rubbing his stomach and head with a pained expression.

"That's not fair!" he yelled. "If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this on equal terms! Just so you know, I am beast on Fruit Greninja!"

Gary came after him again, and swung his sword at Drew's head, but the boy quickly ducked farther, and then pushed himself forward to get behind Gary.

He grabbed another Pokeball and threw it, releasing Roselia.

"Roselia, use Razor Leaf on Skarmory!"

Roselia looked toward the sky and shot the sharp leaves at Skarmory. Unfortunately, it had no effect at all. It merely hit Skarmory and produced a "clanking" sound before falling back to the ground.

But hurting it wasn't the goal.

Skarmory looked back at its own opponent, and then it was struck by Flygon's Hyper Beam.

Gary looked up at Skarmory, thus giving Drew an opening as well.

He ran at Gary and grabbed the boy's arm that held his sword.

"Gotcha!" said Drew. Gary simply looked at him, and then a surge of electricity escaped his body, shocking his surroundings and Drew. The boy fell to the ground, and he twitched as the jolts flowed throughout his body.

"You son of a dick!" said Drew as he slowly looked at Gary. "You won this round!"

Gary walked toward Drew.

Drew got to one knee. He looked at Gary.

"Play fairly next time, dammit! Where's the fun in it if you do that, right Gary?"

He then looked into Gary's eyes, and he froze.

"Gary?"

The boy launched himself at Drew, and the green haired boy just stood where he was, watching his former friend get closer.

The blade would've separated Drew's upper body from his lower body, but it didn't make contact with him.

The person who got struck was Gary, and the deliverer of the strike was a Breloom that got in-between the two. It had used Sky Uppercut, and its fist had struck underneath Gary's chin.

With a roar, Breloom pushed its fist higher, launching Gary high up into the air.

Absol was on the ground, and Electivire was over it, prepared to throw the finishing blow, but it was prevented from doing that as vine whips wrapped themselves around it and tossed it aside.

The Skarmory was prepared for a strike as well, but it didn't make it, because it was struck with a Double-Edge by a Togekiss that dashed right past it. The sudden strike made it lose focus, and it was sent toward the ground, but it stopped in midair and dashed up to the Gary in the sky and caught him.

Gary looked down at the interrupters.

"Crystal!" yelled Gold. His Togekiss flew down next to him. Red was by him with Venusaur. Yellow was by Drew with her Breloom.

They were all just staring at Gary. Gary looked around at all of them.

Now, he could either retrieve the scroll now and not waste his time on them, or he could retrieve the scroll and wreck them all anyway.

And he could.

But he decided against it, and looked toward Crystal.

At lightning speed, he appeared behind her in midair, and his sword cut open her bag.

"Hey!" she yelled.

His power then made him easily retrieve the scroll, and Skarmory caught him in the air.

"Let's go!" he yelled, and Electivire heard. It forcefully pushed Venasaur to the side, and he ran into the forest after its trainer who flew away on Skarmory.

They all just watched him go. Drew's eyes were stuck on him.

"Gary?" he said.

"GARY!"

Ash yelled as he jumped into the area and ran in Gary's direction. His foot hit a pebble, and he rolled into some bushes.

Gary heard the voice and looked back, but after not spotting Ash, he looked forward, and then he was gone.

* * *

Gold was on his knees, and Crystal stood over him with her arms crossed. Red and Yellow sat near them, and Red was eating popcorn that he obtained somehow.

"I'm sorry," said Gold. "It was my fault. I made us enter those ruins because I thought it was a shortcut. I screwed up after taking the scroll and we were attacked. I placed it in your bag because I thought you wouldn't lose it so easily. I just thought if I sold it, I'd get big bucks."

"You screwed up, asshole!" yelled Red, and he started to laugh uncontrollably. Yellow karate chopped his head to quiet him down.

Gold looked up at Crystal.

"Will you please forgive me?"

Crystal stared at Gold, and then she sighed. A smile formed on her face.

"Oh Gold-"

Now, she was smacking him with a paper fan that was one of the contents littered on the ground from her bag as he screamed like a baby.

"Do you realize what you did?!" yelled Crystal. "I almost died! My bag is now destroyed! You're holding all of my stuff now! What makes it worse is that you left me with a psychopath that almost got me killed multiple times!"

"It makes sense," said Red. "It is Ash's friend."

"Is that how you think of all his friends?" asked Yellow.

"Actually, I never got to thank him yet," said Crystal, looking around.

"He's talking to Ash right now," said Gold. "I think they're just catching up with each other."

To the side, Ash and Drew were speaking to each other in private.

Ash had filled Drew in on the things Gary had been doing, and what he will continue to do in the future. Drew listened to every word, and at the end, he lowered his head.

"So that's what Gar-Bear's been doing this whole time," said Drew. "I knew something was different as soon as I saw his eyes."

"I knew when I saw the eyes, too," said Ash. "I just didn't want to believe it. Something like that happening again is something I want to avoid."

"Again?"

"Nothing," said Ash as he lowered his eyes. "It's nothing."

There was silence now, and Ash could see that Drew was just continuously thinking.

"Don't worry, though," said Ash. "I will take care of Gary. He's doing something that involves me, so I will end this."

Drew sighed, and then smiled after looking at Ash.

"I know," he said. "This is just another Ash and Gary fight, isn't it? I'll just let you two work it out somehow. Arguments bring people closer together, so after all this, you two might get along better, right?"

"Uh..."

"We'll all go back to the good old times," said Drew. "We just have to be patient, right?"

Ash stared at him, and then scratched his head as he kept it lowered.

"Um...whatever. Fine. Yeah."

Drew chuckled.

"Hey, Ash, where are the others?" asked Red.

"They're-"

Then his face was filled with regret.

"They're in the forest," said Ash. "I was so caught up in finding Gary that I left them. They might be lost, starving, confused, and I just left them. Oh Arceus, what kind of friend am I? What-"

"Hey, Ash," said May.

Ash turned around and saw May, Brendan, and Dawn coming toward them.

"We found the right map," said Dawn.

There was silence.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey! What's everybody doing here? Did we miss a party or something?" asked Brendan.

* * *

"I've got it."

Gary tossed the scroll toward Sephiroth's hand. He took it and stared at the wooden sides.

"Good job, Gary. You know how to impress."

Gary turned around to get out of the room.

"You know what to do with it," said Gary.

Sephiroth continued looking at the scroll, but then a snicker escaped his mouth.

"Sorry about that," he said.

Gary stopped, but he didn't turn.

"This scroll is useless. It has been ineffective for years now. It's just a scroll with ancient words on it. Nothing special."

"What?!" yelled Gary, and now he turned and glared at Sephiroth.

"Yup, just junk now," said Sephiroth, and he tossed the thing over his shoulder. It hit the wall and fell to the ground.

"Then what was the point of sending me on that mission?!" asked Gary.

"I'll just say it," said Sephiroth. "I had planned to let you finally settle the score with the Aura Guardian. I know I told you that capturing the Princess was priority, but he was getting in the way for far too long, so why not dispose of the problem now?"

"But I didn't see him on the mission at all!"

"That's the issue," said Sephiroth. "I had calculated everything, from everyone's positions to where they will be, and I was unsuccessful. It seemed that a certain boy had delayed the arrival to the spot you were stationed at. You were there for hours, weren't you? But I also calculated an early time or a late time, but it seemed a small pebble had screwed it up as well. It was just coincidence you two didn't see each other."

"So that was Ash," said Gary, remembering that he heard Ash saying his name as he left. "What about Misty? Was everything you told me a lie, too?"

"Nope," said Sephiroth. "I was serious about everything. I was lying though about not doing anything about it. I already cured her. She's doing fine. She's just making a slow recovery."

Gary found himself letting out a small sigh of relief.

Sephiroth's cheerful personality suddenly disappeared, and now he stared at Gary with serious, fierce eyes.

"But I need to deal with that boy as soon as possible," said Sephiroth. "That brings your fight with him closer. Once he's down, we both get what we want, right?"

Gary simply nodded.

"In order to become stronger," said Sephiroth. "you have to destroy those who are stronger than you. Remember, that boy is way stronger than you."

"He won't be for long," said Gary.

"So, are you ready?" asked Sephiroth.

Gary nodded.

In the room near the room Gary and Sephiroth talked in, Misty finally awoke from her slumber.

Her eyes were wide.

_"Ash...is stronger than Gary?"_

**(Ending Song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** The son of the Guardian of the Sea returns, and now he finally sets his final plan in motion. In order to protect May, Ash will finally settle with score with this boy, along with a little help from a Knight from the League of Knights. What is Sora planning, and who is this Knight that has a past with this boy? **Next Time: A Longed For Power.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. This season will be ending by the beginning of March, and I am already prepared to reveal what's in store for the next season (it is an important one). I reminded you on the statement that Sephiroth says when he says that Ash is "stronger" than Gary. Every fight they've been in, it shows Gary getting the upper hand most of the time, and sometimes Ash gets demolished by Gary, so how is it possible, but the answer will be revealed soon. Just you wait. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 3,822) **


	22. A Longed For Power

**This is the one hundred fifty-sixth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. I give you a two-parter at the same time, just to pay back for my late updates. Enjoy! (Read author's note at the bottom)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening Song)**

_Fire. Screams. Anguish._

_The sounds, the light, the fear that engulfed the boy was too much._

_He watched as people ran for their lives, reaching for their children, their families, for hope._

_But right now, there was no hope._

_He felt hands on his shoulders. He felt eyes looking down at him, and he saw the eyes of a pained, tired old man._

_"Only you. Only you can do something."_

_Then, he saw blood._

_He saw the old man fall._

_He saw the fierce blue eyes coming through the flames._

_He started running._

_He got to someplace, and he saw something._

_He saw two bells._

_He felt the eyes' gaze burn upon his back._

_He wished he didn't turn back, for he saw the fierce blue eyes once again._

_"Death is inevitable. Pain is inevitable. Destiny is inevitable."_

_The boy found himself yelling._

_"STOP!"_

_But he was too late. A sharp wind came at him. He shut his eyes..._

...and his eyes reopened in a dark room. He slowly pulled himself up from the bed.

His chest was bare, and sweat fell from his face.

He was breathing heavily. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bell, and then he closed his fingers around it.

_"It was only a dream. A painful memory."_

**A Longed For Power**

* * *

The city was bright and bustling.

This was Sootopolis City, the city that rivals Cerulean City for its spectacular displays of water.

It had an elevated landform, so buildings were built higher than another.

A large river came into the city from the ocean that flowed on its west side.

Street performers took advantage of the qualities of water, entertaining kids and adults as their Pokemon put on spectacular shows.

On one of these sidewalks were Ash and May. They walked by the edge of the city, where the ocean extended far into the horizon. They just seemed to be on a normal stroll.

May removed a water bottle from her mouth. It was a hot day today.

"This water is great," said May. "You should try some, too."

"No," said Ash. "How would water taste great? Aren't they all the same?"

"It depends what brand it is," said May. "If you think all water is the same, I dare you to go and drink some of that seawater. Then you'll see the difference."

In the distance, they saw Brendan and Dawn coming their way. They stopped when they got close enough.

"I've finished getting our rooms at the Pokemon Center," said Brendan. "We're free to do whatever we want now."

"We should spend a day here, and then get a move on," said Dawn. "While we do that, I say we head to that special performance that's going to be shown today. Wallace the Coordinator is supposed to be there."

"That was today?!" asked May. "Let's go then!"

"But I don't want to see Pokemon Contests," said Ash.

"There's a difference this time," said Brendan, and a secret smirk formed on his face. "He's accepting a challenge from people within the crowds. He's also a good Pokemon trainer. I might as well show my skills to him."

"Well, if you put it that way," said Ash, glancing at Pikachu, who formed a fist and a cocky smile.

"I-It's supposed to be a performance battle," said Dawn. "It isn't supposed to be brutal at all."

"That's four tickets, then," said Brendan.

"Five," said Ash. "Don't forget about Pikachu."

"Oh yes, the mouse."

They all followed Brendan, but then May stopped.

She quickly looked toward the ocean.

Her eyes flashed red.

"Do you want to see the show or not?" asked Ash.

May was snapped back into reality. She looked at him and nodded.

"Um...let's go."

She took his arm quickly and forcibly dragged him away.

As they walked, a emerald green cape swished on the winds from the top of a highly elevated building. The man that bore the cape watched them go. He brushed the red and green highlights on his hair from his face, and continued to look from his right eye. A large scar was present upon his closed left eye.

"Just as expected. You've made things far more easy for me, Princess."

* * *

A boy sat in a dark room. A sturdy chair stood in the middle, and the boy sat on it.

In his hand was a glass of wine, but he wasn't drinking from the wine glass.

He was drinking out of the wine bottle that hanged from his right hand.

His brown, spiky hair that seemed to grow longer and longer fell over his eyes, and he slumped in a way that made it look like he was knocked out.

He simply wore a torn black t-shirt and jeans.

It was quiet. Water could be heard close-by. Water was dripping down from the ceiling somewhere, but it was too dark to see.

It was completely quiet, but from the darkness, through his hair, a red light flashed.

He was awake, and both of his eyes shined unusual colors.

The right being blue, and the left being red, but the red was flickering.

"It is time."

In a split second, rough winds were heard, and destruction followed.

* * *

"Oh great, we got separated from them," said May, jumping on top of a park bench and looking around.

"I remember telling you that using the bathroom was a bad idea," said Ash. "You just haaaaad to drink so much, didn't you?"

"I need to stay hydrated in this heat," said May. "You should, too."

"Uh-huh."

They were within the city's large open area. This area was used for Pokemon battles. The stadium for Wallace's performance was on the other side of the city. They would never know how they got here.

Pikachu was being held by May.

Ash stood idly, waiting for May to head toward a different location to keep looking.

Suddenly, he felt a presence.

Someone was behind him, crouched down, and preparing to thrust a pulled back fist, ready to crash it against Ash's back, and it did.

Without him even realizing what had happened, Ash was already in the air, high above the buildings that rose up from the highest elevated area.

From the impact, and from the winds that were formed, May turned back quickly, only to see Ash nowhere and someone else in his place.

He was black, long haired young man who wore an emerald green cape over a black shirt, and brown pants and shoes. What was unique was his red and green highlights on his hair and a scar that went over his left closed eye. On his hands were black gloves, the left with red knuckle designs , and the right with blue knuckle designs.

"Ash?" asked May. She then looked back at the young man.

Ash looked down at him, and then he clenched his fists.

"You don't just sneak up on someone like that!" yelled Ash, and he quickly got himself straightened out. "If you wanted to fight so badly, you could've just asked!"

Aura blazed furiously around his arms, and he headed right back down toward the young man.

The young man's eyebrow rose when he saw Ash's aura. He extended his other hand that had the blue knuckle design.

Ash yelled out as he prepared to crash his fist onto this man, but suddenly, water shot out from the man's hand. It engulfed Ash quickly and formed a ball of water around him.

After realizing where he was, Ash quickly held his breath and flailed around. The young man placed his hand on the water prison.

He then looked at May.

"Hey, buddy!" yelled Brendan with Dawn, running toward them. They seemed to have been looking for Ash and May themselves.

Dawn placed her fist on her palm, and Brendan's eyes turned emerald green.

"You must have a death wish buddy, because I don't appreciate you-"

The young man didn't even acknowledge them. He simply went on one knee while facing May.

"Princess May of the Maple Family," he said as he bowed his head. "My name is Lucas Kurosaki. I am the new leader of the 4th Division within The League of Knights. It is an honor to be at your service."

Everything was quiet. No one said anything. They all just stared at this young man whose name was Lucas.

"Lucas...?" asked May, and then she realized Ash was still within the ball, almost looking like he was about to die. "W-Wait! Don't forget about Ash! Why'd you do that for?!"

Lucas slowly rose up.

"I found a suspicious person near you," he said. "He seemed aggressive. I only did it for your safety."

"Let him out! He'll die!"

"As you wish."

He placed his hand on the water prison and it broke apart. Ash fell to the ground, coughing uncontrollably. Pikachu quickly ran next to him.

"This guy's a knight?" asked Brendan as his eye color returned to normal.

"That means he's on the same level as Lance," said Dawn.

"Be careful where you swing your punches next time," said May. "Not everyone I hang out with are bad people. I remember telling Lance this specifically."

"Yes, yes," said Lucas. "I was just promoted a month ago. I haven't gathered much information about your friends yet."

"Hey *cough*, trapping me in that was a *cough* cheap move!" yelled Ash.

"Why are you even here?" asked May. "Did something happen?"

"No," answered Lucas. "I came here on my own accord."

"Your own accord?"

"Yes. I came here in search of you, Princess. You and the Aura Guardian."

"The Aura Guardian?" asked May. "You mean Ash?"

"Yes, where is that young boy?"

"I'm over here, dipshit!" Ash yelled.

Lucas looked at him, and then back at May.

"I guess my image of an Aura Guardian differs from the truth," said Lucas. "People of light, my ass."

"Hey!"

"Why did you come here looking for them?" asked Dawn. "What was so important?"

Lucas looked at May, and his calm persona suddenly turned stern.

"I need your help in capturing a wanted criminal," he said. "A young boy who has committed treason against Ransei and abused his ways as a royal. This boy is named Sora."

"Sora?" said May, and realization started to cloud her mind.

Ash's coughing stopped suddenly, and he paid attention.

"Why now?" asked Brendan. "He could be anywhere within Ransei. We can't really pinpoint his exact location."

"No, my research and investigation has led me to conclude that he's been hiding out somewhere around here," said Lucas. "I've searched for weeks, but I've found nothing."

"Then how do you know May could?" asked Dawn.

"Because I know," said Lucas. "Because the Princess and Sora are connected, are they not?"

They froze.

"I've been doing my investigations," said Lucas. "I know what you really are, Princess. I know what he is. I know what he's done."

"Why do you want to find him yourself?" asked Ash. "Isn't this a government problem?"

"That's for me to know," said Lucas, and then he looked into May's eyes. "Will you help me, Princess?"

"Uh..."

"No," answered Ash, and he slowly stood.

"Why not?" asked Lucas without even looking at Ash. "When did it become your say?"

"I don't give a crap if it's my say or not," said Ash. "That asshole is dangerous. He's tried to hurt her many times before. I won't allow it again. Letting her go looking for him is like giving him what he wants."

"The Princess will not come close to that boy," said Lucas. "She just has to tell me where he is."

"I don't give a crap!" said Ash. "Then that just means I take her away from here and go after that asshole myself! Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

Lucas now glared at Ash.

"This is something I have to take care of. This doesn't involve you."

"I've been wanting to settle the score with that guy for a while," said Ash.

"I'm not asking you to step down," said Lucas. "I'm ordering you."

"Make me."

May was flustered. She tried forming the words she needed to say to stop the two from fighting, but she couldn't. Brendan and Dawn were prepared to get involved as well.

Before the fight could escalate though, a large explosion was heard far away. Even with the distance they were at, the explosion felt like it was so close.

"What the hell was that?!" yelled Brendan. Screams and police sirens broke out after the explosion.

May's eyes widened.

"Sora."

Ash and Pikachu were the only ones who heard what she said. Ash's gaze went to her, and then toward the black clouds heading toward the sky.

"Get as far away as you can," said Ash as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Before any of them could ask him anything, aura burst from his feet and propelled him into the sky. He got on top of a small building, and then used the same trick again to launch himself away.

Brendan and Dawn glanced at each other and then nodded.

May had nothing to say. It was already too late.

* * *

People ran in fear.

Citizens and policemen helped others run away as harsh winds struck buildings and sent the rubble tumbling to the ground.

A blockade of police cars blocked a large road, preventing a certain person from going through them. Ferrothorns and Meganiums shot out Flash Cannons and Solar Beams respectively toward their foe, but their attacks merely bounced off and struck the buildings nearby.

Officer Jenny was on her knee, loading her gun. She quickly got out from behind the car and starting shooting, but her bullets had no effect.

She got behind another police car and pulled out a radio.

"Reinforcements! We need reinforcements! We need experienced trainers! Bring in the League of Knights! This is serious!"

"Pitiful," said a voice in the middle of the destruction. "Pitiful, indeed."

Officer Jenny got out from behind the car quickly before the police car was struck by a powerful wind. She rolled across the floor and looked up at her foe.

The boy's red and blue eyes glared at her.

"Your life shall be lost...today!"

This was Sora, the son of Lugia, and was once a Prince within Ransei. He pushed away the brown her at his eyes, and then extended his hand. His Aero winds gathered around it. Aero was his power, the same winds Lugia gives off when it flaps its wings. He used wind to his advantage, and he also used other skills Lugia possesses.

Unlike May, he has already mastered his powers.

"Now tell me," he said. "Where can I find May Maple?"

"Who?" asked Officer Jenny.

"Tyranitar, Giga Impact!" yelled a trainer.

"Samurott, use Razor Shell!" yelled another.

"Attack that motherfucker with a Dragon Rush, Hydreigon!" yelled another.

The three Pokemon rose up from behind Sora.

The boy didn't flinch. He quickly spun around and swung his arm, striking all three Pokemon with a powerful sharp wind. The wind brought down more buildings, and people and Pokemon alike were blown away. Screams were heard over the destruction.

"You monster," said Officer Jenny, and she quickly rose her gun to shoot.

Sora, using Extremespeed, kicked the gun away from her hand. He then rammed his foot on the ground, and the winds that were produced launched Officer Jenny away, and pushed away the cars and policemen that blocked his path. Officer Jenny fell to the ground and painfully looked up at Sora, who had his hand extended out.

"I shall move on to another area then."

He used Aeroblast, the move that only Lugia knows, sending a vortex of vacuumed wind at her.

She was motionless, and she watched in fear.

When it made contact, an explosion erupted.

Sora watched the destruction he caused, and then he turned around and proceeded to walk away, but then he stopped.

"I was waiting for you to show up," he said.

He turned around, and what he saw was what he was expecting.

Officer Jenny opened one eye. She rose her hands, and saw that she was alive. She wiped away the blood that came from her head. The back of her shirt was being held. She turned back, and her eyes widened.

It was Ash, and his gaze was only toward Sora.

They meet once again.

"Kid...get away from here," ordered Officer Jenny.

Ash let her down, and then he started walking toward Sora. Then it broke into a run.

"Without even a greeting, you try to fight me," said Sora. "That what makes you a complete monster."

"I don't need to be hearing that from you!" said Ash, and his right arm proceeded to be engulfed in exploding aura. His eyes were blue.

Sora slowly rose one finger.

The aura-enhanced fist Ash was holding up started to get covered in Sora's Aero. Sora moved his finger around, and the fist, by itself, rose higher and punched Ash on the side of his face. The force of his punch had sent him toward a building. He crashed onto it, and he harshly fell toward the ground while hitting the building as he fell.

Before he hit the ground, he shot out an Aura Breath to it, and it slowed down his impact.

Sora, using his Aero, carried a car with his winds and propelled it toward Ash.

Ash landed on the ground on one knee, and he quickly created an Aura Sphere and tossed it at the car, causing it to explode.

Ash broke through the smoke and swung his aura engulfed fists at Sora twice. The boy easily sidestepped to avoid the punches. Ash aimed his fist directly toward the young boy's gut, but he smacked Ash's fist away and then placed a hand on Ash, strike the boy with a Hydro Pump.

Ash was propelled back, and he broke into a building's glass window and crashed through the computers and the equipment, up until he came out on the other side.

In midair, Ash saw Sora in the air like he was floating, and then saw two sharp pillars of water coming right at him.

Ash engulfed his feet in aura and crashed them against the water without any injury. He then propelled himself toward Sora with the aura on his feet and swung an arm at him, but Sora ducked and punched Ash in the gut.

He took Ash's face, and then held him up and tossed him to the hard ground below. Ash crashed onto the top of a car.

He was breathing heavily. Sora landed near him. He quickly got off the car and was ready to head toward Sora, but the young boy had already appeared in front of him and took Ash's neck in one hand. He held Ash up as he held tighter. Ash frantically swung his legs to kick Sora, but an invisible barrier made of wind prevented him from doing that.

"Where's May?" Sora asked. "I have something to tell her."

Ash growled, and his body let out a large amount of aura, but it seemed to not affect Sora at all.

He sighed.

"I guess getting rid of you would be faster then," he said. Ice formed on his other hand, and it turned sharp at the top. He rose his hand to strike Ash.

Dawn placed her fist on her palm, and after a blue light shined, she placed both hands on the ground, and icy spikes rose from the ground and headed for Sora. He noticed, let go of Ash, and used Aero to propel himself to the air.

Ash hit the ground and saw the spikes coming.

Brendan used Mightyena's power to enhance his speed, grabbing onto Ash and carrying the boy away.

"Watch it!" yelled Ash.

"Without me, you would've been dead!" yelled Dawn.

Brendan tossed Ash to the side, and used Pelipper's power to soar up into the air toward Sora. He threw an Aggron-powered fist at Sora, who deflected the punch with the barrier that covered him. He launched Brendan away by creating an Aero Ball and striking the boy, sending him to the side of a building.

He quickly turned around and swung his arm, sending sharp wind to destroy ice arrows that were coming his way.

"The gang's all here," said Sora as his Aero formed around his right arm, and his left arm being engulfed in the Sacred Fire that May has. Some time before, he stole some of it from May, leading her to near-death, which was why his left eye as red. "Now I'm going to ask once more. Where's May?"

Ash shot an Aura Breath up at him, but he struck it with his right arm, destroying it.

"Wrong answer."

He then propelled himself to the ground. When he struck it, his powers caused a deadly shockwave that brought the ground up and destroyed everything in its path.

When it ended, Sora stood and looked at the destruction he caused. He overdid it. He was within a large crater that extended out for two blocks. Their fight had led the battle away from a condensed street, but there were still some buildings near them. The shockwave ripped the base of two buildings away, bringing them down. Luckily, they weren't high buildings, but there were still many casualties.

He looked around. He knew that May's flames had no effect on her friends, so instead of directly attacking them, he used the environment. It wouldn't have killed them, though. Finally, he found Ash on the ground with rubble on top of him. Sora rose his hand.

"You son of a-"

Sora stopped and looked behind her. Out of the crater was May. She was glaring at him.

Without even saying a word, he rose a hand at her. Her eyes turned red.

The ground was rumbling.

Suddenly, the ground rose up into the air. Sora steadied his balance. Cracks started forming on the lifted ground. Then it exploded, and the pieces fell to the ground. Sora looked down, and he saw it. Someone had lifted the ground after coming from underground. Underneath, with his right hand extended with the glove that had red knuckle designs, was Lucas.

Before Sora could do or say anything, Lucas pulled the same fist back and slammed it against Sora's face, launching the boy away. He skidded across the ground hard, getting farther and farther.

May's eyes returned to normal, and she looked at Lucas who landed on the ground.

"Hey-"

"You better go deal with them," said Lucas. "I don't need your assistance anymore. Just get out of here. I'll take care of him."

Sora finally stopped. Lifted ground where he skidded was long and deep.

The boy slowly stood, and he looked up at Lucas.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked. He didn't seem hurt at all.

"None of your concern," said Lucas.

May ran toward Ash. Sora watched, and then his left arm got engulfed in Aero.

Lucas rammed his right hand to the ground, sending a shockwave toward Sora. Sora rolled over, and then he used Aero to propel himself at Lucas. The young man quickly got back up and rammed his right fist downward, striking the top of Sora's head, and then striking him with an uppercut with his left hand. An elbow hit followed right after, and then he extended his left hand with the blue knuckle design, and water burst from his hand and pushed back Sora. Sora held his arms up to block it. Lucas then closed his hand, and the attack on Sora stopped and formed into a water hand that grabbed onto Sora. With a mighty yell, Lucas swung his arm and the water hand followed, dragging Sora on the ground continuously. Then, he suddenly pulled it in, and Sora came right back. His right fist rammed into Sora's face, and he was launched away. He hit the ground hard on his back and he did not get up.

May watched in awe after she finally got to Ash's side, getting him out from underneath the rubble.

Lucas straightened himself out and stared at Sora.

He took a step forward, and then he heard it.

"HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAAAAAAHAAAAHAAHAAAHAAA!"

Sora's body shook as he laughed. Lucas prepared to fight once again.

Sora, without effort, lifted his body back up, and he looked at Lucas. Once again, he didn't seem hurt at all.

"Hot damn! What was that supposed to be? I was starting to get bored of that monster's aura and now this came along! Who are you anyway?"

"These gloves are my power," said Lucas. "They are ancient artifacts created to hold the power of both Groudon and Kyogre. The red contains the strength of Groudon, and the blue contains the power of Kyogre. I haven't completely used their abilities yet."

"Too bad," said Sora, and he slowly got up. "Too bad indeed."

He appeared in front of Lucas using Extremespeed. The young man acted quickly and swung his right fist, but Sora held it. Lucas's eyes widened.

"I think you should reconsider going easy on me now," said Sora.

It happened within seconds. Fists were flying at Lucas at an extreme speed. Blocking them had no effect. When it ended, Sora roared, and Lucas was pushed back by the shockwave. He landed and placed his left hand on the ground. Out of nowhere, a large wave of water rose from the ground and headed for Sora.

"Even Kyogre stands no chance against the Guardian of the Sea," said Sora.

He opened his mouth and the whole wave entered it. Lucas had his mouth agape.

Sora held out his two hands, and a ball of water formed between them. From the ball, a large, powerful, deadly Hydro Pump headed toward Lucas. Lucas rammed his right fist to the ground, and the ground rose up. More ground rose up one behind the other, creating an impenetrable shield. The Hydro Pump struck, causing the whole area to shake.

Slowly, it died down. Lucas listened carefully, and then the wall broke apart instantly.

Behind the wall, Sora only had a finger up.

"Don't chicken out. Fight like a man."

Lucas dashed forward to strike Sora with his right fist. Sora easily swatted it away, and then placed his hand on Lucas.

"Don't butt in when you're not needed."

He used Aeroblast. The large, powerful, vacuumed vortex of air hit Lucas head on.

His body was flung like a doll away from Sora. He landed on the ground. His emerald green cape was in tatters. Blood fell from his mouth, and his right arm was dislocated.

_"H-How?"_ thought Lucas. _"I stood a chance before."_

Sora's foot crashed on top of his head.

"I thought you would entertain me, so I let you rough me up a bit," said Sora. "Not worth it, though. No power is greater than the Guardian of the Sea."

He turned back to May.

"Isn't that right, Princess?"

May had watched the whole thing. Even Lucas stood no chance. Ash was down, and Brendan and Dawn were unconscious somewhere. She was left to fight.

And she wasn't afraid.

Her red eyes glared at Sora.

"You're really asking for it."

Sora removed his foot from Lucas and turned to May. Lucas looked up at Sora from behind, and clenched his fists.

_"No, now is the time!"_

He quickly removed something from his pocket, got up and held the certain thing to Sora's head.

Sora's eyes widened, and a pulse vibrated throughout his whole body.

Lucas smirked, but then his face became twisted with pain.

Sora had turned around and rammed a fist at Sora's arm, bending it the opposite way.

Lucas yelled out in pain. He let go of what he had in his hand. Sora took his arm and flipped him over, sending him to the ground again.

He then grabbed the thing Lucas released in midair.

Sora's hand was tightly wrapped around it, and he slowly turned it around.

It was a bell.

"You had it," said Sora as he slowly turned to Lucas on the ground. "You had the Tidal Bell all this time."

Lucas glared at Sora. Sora smirked.

"I see, I see," said Sora. "It all makes sense now."

"That's it!" yelled May. Flames erupted from around her and headed for Sora. The boy used his Aero to deflect the flames into the air.

He then used Extremespeed to appear in front of May.

They were face-to-face.

The daughter of Ho-Oh and the son of Lugia.

Fire started to build up in May's mouth.

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out something and lifted it to May's face.

Just like Sora before, May's eyes widened. A pulse vibrated throughout her body.

She fell to the ground, unconscious.

He smirked.

"Yes, yes," he said as he held the bell he got from Lucas, and then held up the object he held up to May, which was also a bell.

"The Tidal and Clear Bells," said Sora. "I have them both here. All mine. I never thought I'd obtain the Tidal Bell so early. This makes things go by way faster.

HAHAHAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA-"

He stopped.

"You don't know when to stay down, don't you?" he asked without turning back.

It was Ash, slowly getting up as his body wobbled.

May started to violently cough. Blood shot out from her mouth.

Whenever she used her power for too long, it affected her heart. The heartbeat accelerated too much, shooting the quick blood running throughout her whole body out of her body.

Ash's fists clenched tightly. He wobbled forward, and then he slowly broke into a run with every cough that escaped May.

"You've grown stronger," said Sora.

Ash rose his head, and his fierce blue eyes stabbed at Sora. He roared, showing his sharp teeth. His leg was covered in aura, and his arm was covered in aura, in the shape of a paw with large claws.

"Sadly for you-"

Sora turned around and rose his hand. From underneath Ash, powerful Aero burst out and struck him. He yelled out in pain.

"-I have grown stronger as well."

Then there was an explosion.

Ash's body hit the ground, and now he was completely knocked out.

"HAHAHAAAHAAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAHAAAHAHAHA!"

"Return the bells," said Lucas weakly. "They don't belong to you."

Sora ignored Lucas and held May under his arm.

"Soon...no, today, the Guardian of the Sea will exceed all other beings," he said. "Even Arceus himself."

Then he was gone.

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on, come on!"

Ash's face was slapped repeatedly.

His eyes shot open.

He was in the same spot, and standing over him was Brendan and Dawn. Brendan was violently shaking him and slapping his face.

"We could've woken him up in a more better way," said Dawn.

"We don't have time to waste," said Brendan. "We have to go looking for that prince bastard! Who knows what he's doing to May now!"

_"May!"_

Ash quickly sat up and looked around.

His gaze finally got to Lucas, who was sitting on the ground away from them. He seemed to have pushed his arm back to place, as he had a pained expression and was moving the arm around.

"You!" yelled Ash. He broke past Brendan and grabbed onto Lucas's collar before pushing him to the ground. "What did you give Sora?! What did you give him?!"

"You assume I willingly gave it to him?" asked Lucas.

"I asked you a damn question!"

Lucas pushed Ash away.

"What he took from me is none of your concern."

"He took May after he took something from you!" yelled Ash, moving closer to Lucas. "Why does he need May? What did he take?"

They all noticed it.

Ash's voice sounded...distressed.

Lucas looked at Ash, and then sighed.

"He took away the Tidal Bell," said Lucas.

"That's impossible," said Brendan. "The Tidal Bell is supposed to be a myth."

"It is not," said Lucas. "It surely is not, for my people kept them in secret for generations."

"What about the Clear Bell?" asked Brendan.

"That too."

"Mind explaining what these bells are," said Dawn. "I've never heard of them."

"They are bells that are said to take away the power of god," said Lucas. "At the time, the gods that were praised were Ho-Oh and Lugia, especially to my people."

"Your people?" asked Dawn.

"The people of Tarlok Village. It was a village that hid itself with Ransei. It was peaceful and there was hardly any crime. In the middle of the village was the Grand Temple. Within the temple, the Clear and Tidal bells were hidden. As it says in my people's history, these bells were created by Arceus and given to the first Tarlokian. He was ordered for him and his descendants to use the bells if there was a day that these gods betrayed humankind. The bells were hidden for so long, but then he came along. I remember it clearly. Sora, who was at a very young age and was still just a normal prince at the time as his mother and father ruled. He came alone, and he had said he wanted to explore. We didn't pay much mind. He was so young, and he was royalty. What could we do? All we did was try to make him feel welcome. He then suddenly killed a villager. Before he could be questioned, he started murdering more and more, and destroyed everything. It was unbelievable. A young boy was destroying everything. It was just unbelievable. I was older than him and many others were as well, but we couldn't do anything."

"That's horrible," said Brendan.

"My family was in charge of the temple. Within the chaos, I was ordered by my grandfather to take the bells and run for my life. More and more people died. I had to run from my family, run from my friend, just to fulfill their wish. We tried fighting back, but he demolished everything. It was just horrible. By the time I got to the temple, he had already broken through. That's where we officially met. The day when my hate originated."

* * *

_Flashback_

_The large room was filled with a marble floor and walls. The room was lit in a red color. Four pillars also had the same design, one for each corner of the room. It was completely empty. Only one podium stood, and on top of the podium were the Clear and Tidal Bells within a glass case._

_Now though, they were removed, and were instead within the young Lucas's hand. The teenager, younger, still had the same physical appearance he has in the present. The only differences were that his hair was a bit shorter, and there wasn't a scar over his left eye._

_Now, he was terrified. He had a knife in his other hand, and it was pointed at his enemy._

_His enemy was Sora, but a much younger version._

_Unlike the Sora in the present, he looked like a real prince. His brown, combed hair fell to the back of his neck. He wore a blue, buttoned shirt, and black pants. He wore a blue cape._

_He stared at Lucas, not acknowledging the knife._

_"Hand over the bells," he ordered. "Now."_

_"What do you want!" yelled Lucas. "You've already killed everyone I care about! What else do you want?! Leave me alone!"_

_"Hand over the bells," repeated Sora. "Immediately."_

_"Never, you monster!"_

_Sharp winds burst out from Sora, striking Lucas. He rolled away until he came to a stop. He slowly got up as one hand held the left side of his face on his left eye. Blood was falling to the marble ground._

_He then noticed that he had dropped the Clear Bell._

_Sora walked toward it and picked it up._

_"Having these bells could mess with my future plans," he said. "I suggest you hand them over without hesitation."_

_"Please, please stop this," said Lucas. "Just...kill me now. Get it over with."_

_Sora picked up the Clear Bell, and then looked at Lucas._

_"Now you're listening."_

_Before Sora did anything, an explosion erupted. Next, a screech hit their ears. Sora looked upward._

_"So she decided to take care of me herself," said Sora. "Funny."_

_The ceiling broke apart, and flames came in and caused an explosion. The ground opened up underneath Lucas, and he fell in. He yelled out, but then his head hit something, and everything turned black._

_End of Flashback_

* * *

"After I woke up," Lucas continued, "he was gone. I have no idea who saved me. The temple was destroyed. Everyone was dead. There wasn't a single survivor."

"If you knew he was like this the whole time, why didn't you tell the government you were attacked by him?" asked Dawn. "That would've gotten this guy out of the way a long time ago."

"That's what vengeance makes you do," said Lucas. "I didn't tell anyone because I wanted to take care of Sora. I wanted to be the one to kill him with my own hands, and I still feel that way now. That's why I joined The League of Knights, just so I could get closer to him. I wanted to kill him and retrieve the Clear Bell back, just to fulfill my grandfather's wish to protect them. But I was too late. Before I knew it, I had heard an Aura Guardian attacked him, and later dragged him out of his throne. But I knew he was still alive, and I will kill him."

"Then why you came looking for May and me?" asked Ash. "I wasn't going to fight him for you."

"Not like that at all," said Lucas as he stood. "I need you for an entirely different reason. Right now isn't a good time to discuss this. We have to go look for them."

"But we have no idea where they are," said Dawn.

"We'll find her," said Ash as he stood. "Can you pick up May's scent, Pikachu?"

Pikachu sadly shook its head.

"No need," said Lucas. "I had secretly placed a tracker on May when I first encountered you, just so I could locate where she was if she went to look for Sora for me."

"Then we go there now," said Ash. "We have to check if May's okay."

"Alright, but only on one condition," said Lucas. "I'm only letting you guys come along just for the Princess. I'm the one that'll fight and kill Sora. You kids will not interfere, understand?"

"No deal," said Ash, turning his back to Lucas. "I've got things to settle with him as well. I'll make sure he pays for what he's done to May. Whoever finds him first gets to kick his ass."

Lucas stared at Ash, and then slowly nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

May's eyes opened, but it was still pitch black.

The first thing she tried doing is moving.

She couldn't. She heard metal hit each other, producing the clanking sound. She felt something around her wrists and ankles.

_"Where am I?"_

"Ash! Dawn! Brendan!" called out May, "Where are you guys?"

"Quiet down, May."

_"Sora!"_

She tried moving again, but she couldn't. She stopped.

"Where am I?"

"In some ruins I found a long time go."

"Where are the others?"

"Not here."

"Then where?"

"They don't need to be here."

A light was produced near her. She looked to see the light that was in front of her, and then saw Sora. He was using her Fire to light up his face.

"Why am I here?" she asked. "Are you planning to steal the rest of my powers?"

"It is no longer needed," said Sora, looking at the flame in his hand. "I've realized something while keeping this power for a long time. It is weak. Your powers are too kind, and kindness is weakness. The one power that rules over all power is the power that belongs to my father, Lugia. It will be the strongest, and it will crush the others. That is my goal. It is to prove my father's power is the greatest."

"The others will just destroy that goal, like they always do."

"You're funny," said Sora. "This one is guaranteed to work. It will."

Another light was produced now, and it appeared by Sora.

May's eye widened when she saw aura coming from Sora's other hand.

"How-"

"This isn't permanently mine," said Sora. "I stole this but from that monster on our last encounter. I used its power to heal your heart after you went berserk. I can't have you dead now." He proceeded to walk toward her.

"What are you planning to do?" asked May.

As he got closer, light illuminated May's area. Soon, she finally realized that she was strapped to a wall. Chains held back her hands and legs. Between her legs were three notches, one big, two small. On the two small ones, the Clear Bell and Tidal Bell were pushed into them.

"What are you doing?" asked May again.

Sora rammed the aura into the notch in the wall. It didn't disappear. They stayed on the wall. Then, blue lines escaped the circle that surrounded the notches. They circled May, and then they jotted out to many other parts of the room. They kept going, escaping the room they were in, and heading into the stone hallways and illuminating them as well. It kept going, spiraling around, going into many passages in and out, up and down until it was over.

Light illuminated the room and hallways. She looked around. The room was a plain stone room, and she already deduced that the whole place was made of stone as well.

May heard water. Now she realized it.

They were underwater.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"These bells were designed to take away the power of our parents," said Sora. "This temple was made by The Aura Guardians as a last resort, just in case the Tarlokians failed to do their mission. They made two. I found this one. I thought I could reactivate it myself, but recently, fate has pushed me to use the Aura Guardian's aura."

Now everything was shaking.

They were rising.

"What are you doing, Sora?!" yelled May. "Answer me!"

Finally, they were over water. They were within a large circular temple, at least as bigger than a building with 12 floors. A symbol that portrayed the sky was engraved into a large, circular stone that stood in front. The engravings glowed blue. The temple was far from the coast of Sootopolis City.

Then, a screeching sound rang into Sora's ear.

"You can't hear it, can't you?" asked Sora. "That means this is the right one. This is the temple to take down Lugia."

"Take down?"

"I told you I wanted Lugia's power to be the greatest," said Sora. "There are two who hold this power. Him and I. But there can only be one."

"What are you saying...?"

Sora turned back to her, with a devilish smirk plastered across his face.

"In order to make my father's power exceed anyone else's, I will absorb and steal his power. Therefore, making my power double in strength, exceeding your power, the powers of all the great Pokemon on earth, and eventually the power of Arceus himself."

May's eyes widened. She couldn't form any words.

_"You plan to kill...your father?"_

* * *

Within the deep waters, everything was dark.

The environment felt normal as Water Pokemon swam in different directions.

The Pokemon that were around stopped what they were doing, and they suddenly broke into a dash to get out of the area.

They were right to do that anyway, because a being dashed past them at an amazing speed.

This being was a large Pokémon that resembled a dragon, a plesiosaur, and a bird. It had primarily a pale silver-white color, but it had blue undersides with slightly varying tones. It had a ridged mouth similar to a beak, although it had pointed teeth on its lower jaw. Its head had a point to the back, and its eyes had pointed blue or black spikes on them. It had a long, slender neck and a smooth, streamlined body, with the exception of dark blue or black plate-like protrusions that ran down the length of its back, and two smaller ones on the ends of its tail. It had large wings that resembled hands. It folded back the plates to increase its speed.

This being let out a screech that created ferocious waves that formed at the top of the water.

This was Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea, and he was angry.

**(Ending Song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Ash and his friends raid Sora's base, and the battle for order between the sea and the sky begins with this final battle. There will be no holding back, for the Aura Guardian and Knight have their own reasons to end the rampage of the son to the Guardian of the Sea. Will Sora achieve his goal, and how will Ash destroy his illusion when he's this powerful? **Next Time: The Guardian of the Sea.**

* * *

**That was that chapter. First, let me give darkboy18 credit for the creation of the OC, Lucas Kurosaki. I already like portraying this character already, and he hasn't really shown his full potential just yet. Also, my profile is updated, with Brendan as the spotlight, so if you're interested in him, check it out, or check out the other stuff like the new chapter list and also a detailed description on how I write my chapters. Next chapter will have our heroes dealing with Sora, so be prepared to see the outcome. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 4,208) **


	23. The Guardian of the Sea

**This is the one hundred fifty-seventh chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Another reminder that my profile is updated, with Brendan having the spotlight, so if you like him, see information about him, plus a new chapter list and a detailed description of how I write my chapters. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening Song)**

They soared over the ocean, heading toward their destination.

Ash was being carried by Staravia with Pikachu on his shoulder, Brendan was on top of his Pelipper, Dawn was on top of her Togekiss, and Lucas was above his Mantine.

They had left the shores of Sootopolis City to the ocean where Lucas said May should be located.

Ash had his gaze looking from left to right every second. He turned to Lucas, whose Mantine was gliding on the surface of the water behind him.

"You sure she's around here?" asked Ash.

"Yes," said Lucas, looking at a detecting device in his hand. "We should be nearing the destination soon."

"How long will soon be? I don't want to hear you say you've been holding the damn thing upside down!"

"Calm down, Ash," said Brendan.

"We'll find her eventually," said Dawn. "Even if she isn't here, we'd look somewhere else. We won't stop until we find her."

Something then caught her eye.

"Hey!"

They all looked to see what she was seeing.

The first thing they saw was the large circular stone that had engravings that shined blue brightly that sat in front of the temple above water, even though they weren't too close to it yet.

"Is that it?" asked Brendan.

Lucas looked down at his detector.

"Yes it is."

Ash then glared.

"Yeah, she's there. I can feel it."

"Since we're going against a strong enemy while also rescuing the Princess, we must form a battle strategy," said Lucas. "Let's stop and form one. We'll use the element of-"

"Let's go, Staravia!"

With a loud screech from the Pokemon, it dashed forward to get ahead. Pelipper and Togekiss quickly followed after it.

Lucas watched them go and sighed as he placed the detector back in his pocket.

"It's impossible to deal with kids. Mantine, quickly!"

They all focused on their destination, and Ash could only think one thing over and over.

_"I'm coming for you, May. I'll save you and beat the shit out of that prick, too!"_

**The Guardian of the Sea**

* * *

The chains that were holding down May were hitting each other much more violently. She was moving about frantically, even though her efforts were all in vain.

Sora sat in a chair looking at her with a smile on his face.

"I suggest you stop it, Princess. You don't have the energy to afford it."

May looked at him. She had tired eyes, and she was breathing more heavily.

It was because of the Clear Bell that was located below her. It was slowly sapping away her energy. She could pass out.

"I'm gonna get out of this...and then punch you so hard on the face."

"You're funny."

"You're just gonna wait for him to come?" asked May. "You're just gonna sit over there with a smile on your face as you prepare to kill your father, you monster."

"I guess," said Sora. "Throughout history, my father has never been punctual. He should be here soon."

"Then why am I chained up here? Why do you need me?"

"Pretty simple," said Sora, getting off his chair and slowly walking toward May. "I plan to make you witness me absorbing my father with your own eyes. Then, I plan to kill you with my new power. That could test my strength. It'll be easier since your power is weakening every second. I might just kill you while you're unconscious."

"That's a cheap move," said May.

Sora got close to her face now.

"I know."

Then, the whole temple shook.

Pebbles fell from the ceiling, and it took a few minutes for the temple to balance itself on the water.

Sora was curious, but May already knew who it was.

"Ash!"

"So that monster decided to come even when I have no interest in him right now," said Sora, and then he smirked. "Doesn't matter. I might as well warm myself up before the main event comes along."

* * *

Ash was on one knee with his fist on the ground. Behind him was a large hole.

You could tell he was the one that created it.

Staravia flew in after him. Then Dawn and Brendan on their respective Pokemon entered the hole, jumped off their Pokemon, and then returned them to their Pokeballs. Lucas jumped in. He had already returned his Pokemon.

"I thought I told you we had to use the element of surprise," said Lucas. "Now he'll see us coming."

"I want him to," said Ash as he stood.

They had entered a long hallway. It was completely made of stone, and the walls were covered with lines that contained aura in them.

"Can you still track May?" asked Dawn.

"Yes," answered Lucas. "Follow me and be careful. Wherever May is, Sora should be there too."

They started running. The place was like a maze, with wide and long hallways. Nothing special was there unless you counted the aura that was flowing throughout the whole place.

Their whole way there, Ash had felt more energy coursing throughout his body because of the immense aura that surrounded him, but he didn't pay much mind to that. He could only think about going after May.

After turning into another stone hallway, they ran until they finally got to the first room they encountered, and this was the room they were looking for.

"May!" yelled Ash.

She was stilled chained up, and she also seemed exhausted, breathing heavily as her eyes were closed.

Sora was not present in the room.

"May! What's wrong?" asked Dawn, heading toward her friend. She held on to a chain that was holding May's leg, and then it instantly froze.

Lucas looked around for Sora. Then his eyes were set onto the items under May.

"That's the Clear and Tidal Bells! Quickly remove them! Having the Clear Bell near her is hazardous for her health."

Ash quickly snatched the bells from the notches under May. Then he saw the ball of aura that was under her, and he quickly recognized it.

"This is aura," he said.

"I've seen that kind of stuff flowing on the walls the whole way here," said Brendan. "I thought it looked familiar."

"It must be powering this whole place," said Dawn.

Ash held his hand over it, and it slowly got absorbed into his hand.

"This is mine. How'd it get here?"

"Sora took some from you a while back," said May weakly. The ice chains that were holding her broke apart, and Ash quickly caught her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Sora...you have to stop Sora," said May, looking at Ash as she tried to place her feet correctly on the ground. "H-He's planning to bring Lugia over here, kill, and absorb his power."

"Isn't Lugia his father, though?" asked Brendan.

"He's obsessed," said May. "He's going to do anything just to achieve a pointless goal."

She looked up at Ash with pleading eyes.

"Ash, you have to stop him."

"No," said Lucas. "All you came here for is the Princess. That's all you needed. Now you guys have to get out of here. I'll deal with Sora myself."

"But what about this place?" asked Brendan.

"This place is a temple that beckons Lugia to get over here," said Lucas. "The Aura Guardians created two temples as a last resort in the circumstance that the Tarlokians fail. Two were created: one for Ho-Oh and one for Lugia. I destroyed the Ho-Oh one some time ago, and I was searching for this one before getting a lead on Sora. The large, circular stone in front is actually a cannon powered by both bells and Aura. The attack could kill Lugia in one shot."

"But we removed the aura powering it," said Brendan. "Why hasn't it stopped yet?"

"That's because it must be powered in another area," said Lucas. "Sora's a smart advisory."

"Then we should destroy this place, too," said Dawn.

"No, I'll take care of that," said Lucas. "I'll take care of both."

"We don't have time for you to take care of the both," said May. "Sora could stall you and have enough time for Lugia to get here."

"Exactly," said Dawn. "At least leave taking care of Sora to us."

A vein throbbed on his forehead, but he soon gave in.

"Fine," Lucas said. "I'll leave the destruction to you. But once you're done, you leave."

"Great!" exclaimed Brendan as he punched his palm. "Destroying things is right up our alley."

"That's not an accomplishment," said Dawn.

May slowly looked at Ash.

"You're not going to take care of Sora?"

Ash stared at her, and then picked her up bridal style.

"Right now, he isn't my enemy," said Ash.

Lucas extended his hand that held an item out to May. She took it.

The item was a flute with blue carvings that represented waves.

"What's this?" she asked.

"That's the Tidal Flute," answered Lucas. "Use it in the case that Lugia gets here before I stop Sora. A silent frequency is being emitted. It angers the Pokemon and causes them to blindly get here and get within attack range if the cannon without thinking. Once you calm down Lugia, it should strategize and avoid the attack. It'll take a while before the temple charges up again, so that gives us extra time. Understand?"

May slowly nodded.

"Alright," said Lucas. "Go!"

They then scattered, going their own way to foil a ridiculous plan.

* * *

The whole temple shook as the children aimed to destroy it.

Brendan roared as he connected his fist toward a wall. Several cracks formed, and the whole thing came tumbling down. He broke through, and then he raced at the speed of a Mightyena and continued destroying wall after wall, causing the temple to shake even more.

Aggron shot walls down with Hyper Beam, and then rammed into them with Take Down.

Marshtomp used the boulders that fell from Aggron's rampage and used Rock Slide to hurl the boulders at walls to bring them down.

A boulder broke from the ceiling and came down on it without it knowing.

Brendan came running on a wall using Marshtomp's power, soared to reach Marshtomp, and then destroyed the boulder with an iron fist.

"Don't stop now!" yelled Brendan. "Just keep bringing on the destruction!"

* * *

Dawn placed her fist on her palm, and then sent a flurry of cold air was sent toward the walls, freezing them over, and continuing down toward the end of the hallway.

"Togekiss, Aura Sphere!"

Togekiss shot two Aura Spheres down the hallway, causing an explosion that vibrated the whole temple and tore down the walls that were frozen over.

Buneary jumped over them and used Jump Kick to destroy the rubble that fell from the explosion.

"We can't stop until this whole place goes down!" yelled Dawn as she slammed for fist into her flat palm, creating a large ice hammer that formed and crashed into the ground.

Boulders broke from the roof and came down on her. She rose her hand, and a large ice barrier form, letting the boulders bounce off and fall around them.

Using their powers, they broke through.

"Come on! Another hallway!"

* * *

The temple shook with every explosion.

Lucas walked quietly in a long hallway. His footsteps echoed loudly.

He was focused, only going for one goal.

It was to destroy Sora and avenge all of the people he had killed. Lucas wasn't going to go back. He was either going to get out of here feeling accomplished, or die feeling like a loser.

And he knew he was going to go with the former.

He didn't participate in the destruction. He didn't need to. He researched what Aura Guardians could do, so Ash alone could destroy the temple in half an hour.

Soon, the sound of footsteps began overlapping with his.

He stopped, and soon he saw who was coming from the other side of the hallway.

"So you've come," said Sora with a smile as he got closer. "Did you just come here to get your ass kicked over again?"

Lucas clenched his fists, and then got into a fighting stance.

"I didn't come here to play with you. I came to kill you."

"Ha! Really now? Did you not experience yourself that my power exceeds yours by a lot? It has only been two hours since our last fight. I believe it doesn't take that much time to fill in the gap between us."

"I was holding back last time," said Lucas. "Now, I don't plan to resist in the slightest bit."

"You can try," said Sora. "I am waiting for an important person. You might be able to entertain me for the time being."

"You're going to regret thinking that."

"You're going to regret even being here in a few minutes."

With a yell, Lucas ran toward Sora. He rose his left fist and Sora simply rose an arm.

Lucas's fist collided with Sora's arm, and the force caused a shockwave that blew plenty of dust within the old temple that blinded them.

Within the smoke, the two appeared face to face in midair.

Lucas threw a punch at Sora's face, sending the boy down the hall as he skidded on the ground.

Lucas quickly jumped out of the smoke with a backflip and landed on his legs as he skidded back a bit.

Sora broke through the smoke using Extremespeed and came in front of Lucas. The young man held up both of his arms, and Sora's fist collided with them so hard that the ground below Lucas gave in and he fell in. Sora stood over the hole and threw down an Aero Ball.

Sharp winds were heard slicing down walls as they tumbled down. Smoke escaped the hole.

Sora smirked. A normal human being would have their bodies sliced up.

Sora felt the ground shake, but immediately guessed it was because of the destruction Ash and his friends were causing.

But he was wrong, because the ground opened up and Lucas jumped out, ramming his elbow on Sora's face.

He then placed his right hand on Sora's gut, blasting water at high power that launched Sora into air. Sora held his hands over the water, and it began moving wherever his arms swung.

"I can control water, idiot!" yelled Sora. "It has no effect on me!"

He hurled the attack down at Lucas, who jumped out of the way before he got hit.

"I know that," said Lucas. He then tore a huge piece of the stone ground and hurled it at Sora with his left hand.

Sora smacked the attack aside, and then used his Aero to hurl himself at Lucas. He rammed into the young man and sent them both to the hall below. He then used Aero to take Lucas and hurl the boy away down the hall. Lucas got to his feet and skidded back.

When he looked up, Sora was already preparing an Aeroblast.

"Bye-bye."

He shot it, and the attack collided with Lucas and created a large explosion.

Smoke was all around Lucas. Sora kept his eyes forward.

"Are you still alive in there?" asked Sora. "Lately, I've been feeling that whenever I do something, my foe always survives somehow."

"Yeah, I'm still alive," said Lucas. "I see that you're not holding back from getting this place caught up in our fight."

"I don't need it anymore," said Sora, "It's already charged up. It'll shoot the instant my father gets here. I'll sense him though, so I won't be missing the spectacle."

"Too bad," said Lucas, and Sora could swear he saw a red and blue light. The smoke was blown away and large fissures headed for Sora. He jumped, but suddenly, lava broke out from the cracks and went up for Sora. He surrounded himself in Aero to deflect it, but he could still feel the heat. Looking at Lucas, he saw something else.

Lucas's gloves were glowing red and blue.

"This is Primal Mode," he said. "I told you. I'm not holding back!"

He uplifted some ground and tossed it at Sora, but it wasn't thrown to hit him directly. Instead, it hit the ground in front of Sora, and its destruction brought up dust that clouded Sora's vision. He used his Aero to push the dust aside.

There to greet him was Lucas, who then punched Sora across the face with his left hand.

The impact was tremendous, and blood escaped Sora's mouth after the attack. Then the fist went for his stomach, pushing all of his air out from his lungs. Then he was kicked on his gut that sent him spiraling back.

As soon as his feet landed on the ground, Lucas rose his left hand, and then dozens of streams of water that were pointed at the top rose up and went for him.

"What did I tell you, idi-"

Sora had rose his hand to control the water's movement, but he couldn't move it. They came at him, cutting him even as he dodged them to the best of his ability, but there was just too much. He was slashed on his side, and one scraped his forehead, causing blood to fall from it at a rapid pace.

He was thrown back when it all ended.

"I will avenge all of them," said Lucas. "Every single one of them, you monster!"

He crossed his arms outward, and then cracks formed on the ground as explosive lava shot out while a sheer cold spiraled toward Sora. He was using Eruption and Sheer Cold.

Sora watched nervously. When it struck him, he flew into the air as he yelled while getting hit repeatedly by both attacks.

An explosion that bested all other explosions that day erupted.

* * *

Ash roared, followed by an Aura Breath that broke through walls and sent them crashing down.

Pikachu used Volt Tackle as Corphish and Grovyle used Crabhammer and Leaf Blade to help their trainer in his task.

Ash's aura covered fist broke down a wall with ease. He smirked.

"How was that, May? Give me a score!"

May was sitting while leaning on a wall behind Ash.

Before she could answer, the whole place started tilting left and right after a large explosion erupted. They could feel the impact from where they were at.

"What the hell was that?!" asked Ash. "I can do a MUCH better one!"

May stared out, not saying a word.

* * *

Lucas stayed where he stood watching the amount of damage he caused. He only used that technique once before, and the person who got hit turned into a large black rock.

_"Is it...over?"_

The smoke started to clear, and Lucas sighed in annoyance when he saw Sora.

The boy was still standing, but he seemed very beaten up. His black t-shirt was torn apart, and his jeans was burned at the ends. A huge gash was on his side, but strangely no blood fell from the wound.

He was slumped forward with his head looking toward the ground while also breathing heavily.

"You still stand?" asked Lucas. "Look at you. Just flicking you could kill."

"You thought you had a chance, didn't you?" he asked.

Lucas dashed toward Sora, held back his left fist, and then thrust it forward toward Sora's face.

Sora's hand easily caught it.

Lucas was baffled. This punch should've crushed Sora.

Then, Sora finally made eye contact with Lucas.

His eyes were ocean blue.

"Mind if I send you flying now?"

He pulled his fist back, and then blue energy formed around it.

He then rammed it into Lucas's gut.

A whole pool of blood escaped his mouth, and then he was sent flying through wall after wall after wall.

He hit the ground hard in another wide stone hallway, and then he painfully grabbed onto his stomach and coughed up more blood. He writhed in pain.

_"W-What the hell was that?!"_

He heard Sora's footsteps nearing him.

Even with the pain, he stood and dashed toward the limping boy.

Sora rose his hand, and then sharp winds cut open Lucas's gloves as they fell apart.

"Useless without them, huh?" he asked.

Lucas was now shaken up with fear.

Sora lowered his arm, and then it felt as if a boulder suddenly pushed him to the ground.

He couldn't get back up, and Sora was coming closer.

"That was fun."

Sora was over him, and his hand was placed on top of Lucas's face.

"That was really fun."

Then he stopped.

Lucas awaited his death, but nothing happened. He slowly looked up at Sora.

Sora was not looking at him. He turned to Sora's gaze, and seeing her shook him.

It was May, leaning against a wall.

"Happy for you to join us," said Sora. "What's wrong? You look tired. How about you go take a rest? I'm just going to compress air around this sucker's head and watch it implode. Watching may scar you. I suggest you go."

May looked up at him. Her eyes were yet again red.

"That's dangerous," said Sora. "Overusing it could kill you."

Flames surrounded May. Then circled around her arm. She effortly swung it, and the flames shot out at Sora. He used Aero to brush it aside.

"Now you must be really fired up."

Flames slowly surrounded May again, but they suddenly dispersed and she fell to her knees while holding onto her chest. She coughed up blood.

"What did I tell you?"

May's flames returned right after, and shot out toward Sora. Sora used his Aero once again, but suddenly he jumped out of the way as the flames brushed past him and struck a wall. A hole slowly formed as it burned away the material.

Sora looked at what May did, and then looked back at May.

"Oh, I see you hanging out with this barbarians has changed you into a daredevil," said Sora. "Killing you would be as simple as destroying paper with the condition you are now. Are you sure?"

May breathed a couple times more, and then she glared up at Sora as flames surrounded her once again.

"I guess that's a yes."

Streams of flames shot out and headed for Sora. He backflipped away, then threw two Aero Balls at May. A flame wall surrounded her and the ball dispersed. The flame wall opened as a Flamethrower headed for Sora.

He quickly created an Aero Barrier. The flames struck it, causing Sora to be sent back as he kept his feet forcibly on the ground. He then brushed the flames off.

"Wow, Princess! At your level and strength, I never expected you to hold this much power!"

He extended his hand, and then shot an Aeroblast at her.

May slowly stood up from the ground, and then her hands held her chest.

With a yell, the flames around May turned purple.

Then they built up into one large purple ball made of flames, and then launched it toward Sora.

It broke through Sora's Aeroblast, shocking him.

_"That's Sacred Fire!"_

He quickly jumped out of the way, and the ball struck the ground and then sent an explosive fury of purple flames at him. He yelled as the flames made contact with his body. It was too hot and too powerful.

Flames filled the whole area. Sora was quickly engulfed in it.

From the rubble, Lucas watched in awe. He slowly looked toward May.

May watched what she did, and then she violently coughed again. Blood fell from her mouth, and she fell to her knees once again.

"Princess!" yelled Lucas.

"Look at you. This would be way more fun if you were not on the brink of death."

Sora broke through the flames, and then sharp winds picked up and brushed them all away. He was unscathed.

May tried standing, but then Sora appeared in front of her and elbowed her to the ground.

"Get away from her!" yelled Lucas. "Don't you dare touch her like that!"

"Why not?" asked Sora. "She came and attacked me first. If she wanted to come into our little fight, then why not? That's more fun for me."

His foot crashed down on her back. The impact caused cracks to form, and her body twitched.

Lucas could no longer watch.

He quickly got out from under the rubble and went for Sora. Even without his power he continued to fight.

He pulled back a fist at Sora's back. When he lurched it forward, it did not make contact with his head. His arm vibrated viciously, and then he was thrown back to the ground. He held his arm as it continued to shake.

Sora semi turned to him.

"What the hell was that about?" asked Sora. "I'm finished with you. You could've taken the time to run."

_"I understand," _thought Lucas. _"He suddenly increased the pressure of air around him. A strong barrier has formed. The barrier is so thick that it's keeping blood from falling. It decreases the amount of damage inflicted to him. Even my Primal Mode and Ho-Oh's strength stands no chance."_

He watched as Sora continued to step on May over and over.

_"I've learned everything about him. How could I miss it? How could I miss the possibility of him developing his power? Without my gloves...without May...we stand no chance."_

"I'm surprised you've lived this long," said Sora. "That's what your mother gets for putting such power within a fragile girl. The amount of power you've used up today would've destroyed you."

Flames erupted around May and Sora, and it shot up around them as they both got engulfed within the pillar of flames. But the flames were pushed away by Sora's Aero.

"I see," said Sora. "You're developing. You're growing stronger. The situations you've been in toughened your body up. Maybe, just maybe, if it toughened up just a bit more, you would've destroyed me without much effort. I'm impressed..."

May felt her body being crushed. She screamed as the pain coursed through her body. Sora increased the air pressure around her slowly, and Sora was trying to make it last.

"You should've obeyed me when you had the chance, Princess. Night, night."

May's scream echoed throughout the whole temple. Lucas could feel the pressure from where he was, but luckily he wasn't too close.

But he couldn't do anything.

Sora was laughing maniacally.

There was no way out of that.

But that one boy broke through it without much effort, and with a fist surrounded in blue, furious aura, he slammed it on Sora's face, sending the boy down the hallway as his body dragged itself across the ground.

The air pressure got lighter, and May's scream ended.

"You're a real dumbass, What made you think you could just walk off without me?"

May effortfully tried raising her head, but it fell back down as blood was shot out from her mouth.

"Don't worry. I'm on it."

Aura rose up his hand, and he placed it on May's back. It slowly sunk into her body and surrounded her heart. Slowly, May's breathing slowed and her coughing ended.

"Ash...I-"

"Yeah, yeah. You can apologize all you want later," said Ash, standing back up. "Just get the hell away from here."

"But..."

"I know," said Ash. "I know this was no longer completely my fight. What that asshole did was wrong and I paid him back by destroying everything he worked for. This was really your fight. This was a fight that you had to end since the beginning. This was not Lucas's fight, either. You has to beat him for all of us. All I had to do was watch you do it, but sadly...I'm not that type of guy."

Sora stood back up and looked toward Ash.

Ash looked at Lucas.

"Let me fight him."

"No way," said Lucas. "I can think of-"

"I said let me fight him," said Ash. "I'm going to break him for you."

"And what makes you think I'm going to say yes?"

"If you don't, I'll beat your ass first."

"You're saying such things to a Knight?"

"Knight or God, I'd speak the same to either one."

They stared each other down. They didn't say a word.

Then Lucas sighed and he slowly stood.

"If you really think you've got a chance against him, then go," said Lucas. "If you die, I won't come back for you. I'm going to destroy this place and come back for Sora another day."

"There won't be another day," said Ash. "This ends now. Just take May and go."

Lucas walked to her and picked her up slowly. She looked pretty weak.

"Ash..."

"I'm proud of you, May," said Ash. "I never thought you'd develop your power without killing yourself but you did. Now just leave this to me."

May tried talking, but she kept her mouth shut. She was going to trust him. She had to.

Lucas took one look at Sora for the last time, and then started running off.

Sora placed his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward Ash.

"Finally," he said. "I was getting bored with them. I was waiting for you."

Ash didn't respond.

"What? I don't sense much killing intent from you right now. Decided to get over it?"

"I haven't gotten over it," said Ash. "I don't plan to kill you."

"Really now?"

"I don't think that for living things anymore," said Ash. "I just plan to beat you until you're near death."

"You still think I'm just a mere living thing?"

"You're just corrupted."

"What makes you say that?"

"I've known someone who's been corrupted for far too long. He may turn out to be like you."

"You're planning to save me?"

"That's where the difference is," said Ash, and then aura engulfed his arms. "I don't plan on saving you at all."

"You're funny," said Sora. "You really are."

He lifted a hand, and then sharp winds were blasted toward Ash. Ash dashed forward as aura engulfed him, breaking through the winds and heading for Sora. He thrust his fist at Sora's gut, but the barrier around Sora prevented that.

Sora kneed Ash in the gut, elbowed Ash on the face, and then swiped his arm to cause winds to push Ash back.

The boy kept his feet on the ground, and when it stopped, he launched an Aura Breath at Sora. Sora brushed it away with his Aero, but then Ash broke through and swung his arm down at Sora, who blocked the strike with one arm. More aura covered Ash's fist, and the force started pushing Sora deeper and deeper into the ground, but then it broke open and Sora fell to the hallway below.

He landed and then backflipped before Ash crashed his Aura covered foot on him.

When Sora stopped, he used Extremespeed to come back at Ash and then punched him downward on the face. He threw another punch at Ash's stomach, and then grabbed Ash's face and tossed him at the ceiling. He broke through many ceilings.

Then Sora rose a hand, and then an Aeroblast blasted from it and headed for Ash.

The boy crossed his arms over his head, but the blast was too strong.

He yelled as it pushed him back and he got engulfed in its fury.

An explosion followed. Sora watched to look for Ash. He did see Ash, but it was his motionless body heading for the ground. Blood escaped from his mouth and he was also injured on his side.

"You're lucky," said Sora without turning back. "That's what I expected from a monster like you."

Without turning back, he heard Ash trying to get himself back up.

"And you still continue to fight?" asked Sora.

"Hell yeah!" yelled Ash. He was breathing heavily. His foot crashed onto the ground, and he launched himself at Sora. Sora swung his arm to create a wall of wind, but Ash's fist broke through it and rammed onto Sora's face. The boy was sent back. He touched his cheek. He looked at Ash and saw the blue in his eyes.

"I see," said Sora. "That's how you're breaking through my defenses. This isn't normal human strength."

His eyes turned ocean blue.

"Then it'd be fair to even out the playing field then, right?"

* * *

The temple shook much more than it did before. Brendan stood by his Pokemon as he watched the rubble fall to the ground repeatedly.

"That must be Ash," he said. "That bastard thinking that he could do much more damage than me! Fine then, I'll just-"

Suddenly, a beam of light broke right through the walls. Brendan pulled Aggron out of the way.

He knew that was not Ash.

"This place is going down pretty fast," said Brendan. He cracked his knuckles. Then he crashed his fist to the ground, creating large cracks that broke it apart immediately.

"Then I'm going let it crumble faster!"

* * *

Dawn looked down the destroyed hallway. There was nothing left. She breathed heavily, and her Pokemon stood by her to make sure she didn't fall and hurt herself on the rubble.

"I'm fine," said Dawn. "I'm fine."

She had noticed that the temple was shaking, and she could hear explosions elsewhere explode viciously.

"I can't stop just yet," she said.

She placed her fist on her palm, and then blue light shined. She then rose her arm. From the ground, a gigantic ice lance molded and kept going upward, breaking through ceilings until it broke through the highest one.

Small pieces of ice fell to the ground slowly.

"Almost there!"

* * *

Lucas was outside the temple. He was above his Pidgeotto. He had his arms folded over his chest.

"I won't allow this to go on any longer, Sora."

He placed two items on his wrists.

They were Mega Rings.

He then threw two Pokeballs in the air, and then a Glalie and a Steelix burst out.

He removed two small orbs from his pocket.

They were a Steelixite and Glalitite. He pushed them into the notches on the Mega Rings.

A light engulfed Steelix and Glalie. When the light broke apart. In the air were now two new Pokemon.

Mega Steelix and Mega Glalie.

"Please!" ordered Lucas.

Mega Glalie launched a destructive Ice Beam at the surface of the temple. Mega Steelix then spun its body around like a drill, and crashed into the ice, breaking into the temple easily. Mega Glalie shot a Frost Breath into the hole, and a large explosion was heard inside. Mega Steelix continued to drill inside.

Lucas watched it all in the air.

_"That bastard better hurry up."_

* * *

The two boys clashed. Each punch they threw caused a explosion and broke down walls.

After breaking through one wall, Ash hurled himself at Sora. Sora slammed his fist into Ash's face, sending him to the ground forward face first. Ash quickly grabbed Sora's leg, spun around, and then inhumanly tossed Sora up into the air. Harsh winds surrounded Sora's arms, and he sent them down at Ash. With a roar, Ash tore through the wind and then pushed his hands together. Once he separated his hands, a large Aura Sphere formed. He tossed it at Sora. He moved out of the way using his power. Using Extremespeed, he appeared next to Ash. Once he swung his arm, harsh winds struck Ash. Ash tried to stay where he was, but the winds were too strong, and he was then launched through walls until he broke out of the temple into the air over the ocean.

Ash glared at Sora, surrounded his feet in aura, and then propelled himself back in. His fist thrust forward when he got close enough, punching Sora right in the face. Sora laughed and then threw a heavy punch into Ash's stomach.

They struck each other over and over again as their inhumane thoughts thought about destroying the other.

"Feel that!? It must be great wielding that much power! You feel like you can do anything, right?! That's how I feel! More! More! More!"

He then pulled his fist back as blue energy formed around it. Ash recognized it immediately since he used it last time.

It was plasma. Sora compressed the air too much, eventually turning it into another state of matter.

This fist crashed into Ash's gut, feeling as if it ripped through his chest.

A pool of blood escaped his mouth, and he wobbled back.

"Don't you hate not being strong enough, monster?!" yelled Sora.

"I do," Ash said silently. "It is because I don't have enough that I wasn't able to protect a lot of people within my life. People I cared about. I've witnessed many things because of my lack of power..."

Ash then looked at Sora, straightening himself.

"But I've come this far with the power I already have!"

He dashed forward. He ducked another punch from Sora, and then uppercutted the young man with a furious aura engulfed fist. Sora was launched into the air.

"I don't need to cheat to obtain more! I will grow stronger my own way!"

"How childish," said Sora, raising his hands over his head. Unlike last time, the plasma formed too quickly. "I'll show you where lack of power gets you."

"It gets me many places!" yelled Ash. Sora threw the ball. If it actually struck, it would've destroyed the whole temple, not even leaving a trace of Ash's body. "And it will continue getting me places! Places farther than you!"

His Aura Blade materialized in his hand. Aura surrounded it.

With one swift swing, he cut through the plasma ball, breaking it in two.

"That's what it feel like to have my power, dammit!"

Sora was wide-eyed. Fierce aura surrounded Ash, engulfing the leftover pieces of the Plasma Ball. He then pushed himself upward as the Aura engulfed his whole body, slowly transforming into the head of the Aura Beast.

"That's why you're corrupted Sora!" he yelled. "You have no idea what your power is for other than getting better than others!"

Sora was frozen. He didn't know if he was hallucinating when he saw the Aura Beast's head roar.

"USE YOUR POWER CORRECTLY, SORA!"

Ash's fist crashed into Sora's gut, not pulling back as they both continued breaking through cieling, going farther up. Sora was yelling in pain as the aura engulfed him. They kept going, and after a mighty yell from Ash, they broke through one more ceiling before everything stopped.

Smoke covered the room completely.

Within, Ash was standing, breathing heavily.

Sora was on the ground, with white eyes and his mouth open. Blood fell from his side since the barrier no longer surrounded him.

"And don't ever lay a single finger on May ever again."

* * *

May sat on top of the large circular stone. Lucas placed her here, telling her to watch for Lugia. She kept her eyes open. She felt dizzy, and she could easily fall forward into the ocean below.

She felt the temple vibrate beneath her. She didn't pay much mind to it. Even in her dizzy state, she could still feel worry for Ash. She wondered how he was doing with Sora. The Aura still flowed within the engravings on the large circular stone. That just meant the power source has not been destroyed yet.

She saw Lucas flying over her on his Pidgeotto. He seemed to be getting more and more inpatient.

"I warned him," he said to himself "I swear that if he doesn't come, then-"

A terrifying roar resonated in their ears.

May looked toward the ocean. She watched closely, and started seeing a shadow coming toward them quickly within the water.

Its head rose above the water and then it soared up into the air and flapped its wings, causing sharp winds that almost made May fall from her position.

This was Lugia. Its blue eyes showed its rage. It roared once again.

Within the temple, Dawn and Brendan heard the roar. They fell to the ground as the temple shook violently due to the harsh winds.

Pidgeotto and Lucas were sent flying, not being able to fight back the wind.

_"Lugia..." _thought May. She then realized the blue glow on the large circular stone slowly glow brighter. She stared at the Tidal Flute in her hand.

Lucas didn't even tell her what to play or what to do. She had to think fast, so she quickly placed the flute near her mouth and blew air into it, just deciding that she'd play " Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

But the notes came fluently. This was her first time playing it, but her fingers danced on the ancient relic. She couldn't describe what she was playing, but it sounded serene and beautiful. She didn't know, but it was because of the flute being an ancient relic that the song came out. All you needed to do was blow air into it.

She noticed Lugia slowly lower its roar. Its eyes' blue color was fading.

She was almost there, and she had to hurry before the temple shot Lugia.

But the flute was knocked out of her hands, and it fell into the ocean.

What struck her was a gust of wind.

"I would ask you not to do that, Princess."

May froze.

_"Sora?! But Ash-"_

She slowly turned to him, and then her eyes widened.

Sora was on his knees. He held onto his side as blood fell from his deep wound. The air barrier around him was too weak, but it was barely good enough so blood would be gushing out of Sora. He was breathing heavily, and his pupils were fading.

"Sora..."

"This is it," he said with a smirk. "I'm finally going to do it. I'll-I'll..."

He coughed up blood.

May stared at him with sorry eyes. She understood all of the wrong things he's done and the things he's planning to do, but why did she feel bad?

"It didn't have to turn out this way," said May. "If only you didn't-"

"I don't care!" he yelled. "This is the time I shall ascend in ultimate power! Then I'll kill every single one of you!"

The blue light brightened sharply.

"It's time!"

May was too late to stop it. A blue, powerful beam shot out from the middle of the large circular stone and headed for Lugia.

Sora was laughing maniacally as it got closer to Lugia.

It was going to instantly kill.

Lugia saw the beam coming, and then within a second, its eyes returned to its blue color, and then it shot an Aeroblast from its mouth at the beam, neutralizing the attack.

Quiet shock overtook the two of them, but they didn't have time to fully stay like that for Lugia's Aeroblast continued and shot right through the temple, destroying the large circular stone in front. It then flew forward and crashed into the temple with its large strong wings.

_"I'm sorry, son of mine."_

Lugia was telepathically speaking to them as it continued to rampage.

_"Your plan has been fouled. This temple has been here for too long. Its power is unstable and weak. It takes over my mind, but my mind is too focused to fall prey to it."_

"No..." Sora mumbled. "No, no, no."

_"I should've done something. I realized what you were doing so long ago, but I did nothing to stop it. I let you go on. I wanted to see how far you would go, and when you would decide to turn back, but doing that only let you fall more into the darkness. You were created, no, you were both created by the sea and the sky to help Pokemon and people get closer together. We wanted you two to lead this world to peace. Only she walked in the light, but you walked in the dark, and I never tried to pull you out. I take full responsibility for what you've become. You are a disappointment, Sora."_

Strange liquid started to form in Sora's eyes.

_"I'm so sorry it turned out this way."_

The liquid fell from Sora's face.

They were tears.

The boy produced tears for the first time in his life.

"F-Father..."

* * *

"Where the hell is that bastard!" yelled Ash, running and jumping over rubble in the broken hallway.

"Pika Pi!"

Ash stopped. He saw Pikachu, Grovyle, and Corphish coming from the corner and run toward him. Ash bent down and petted Pikachu's head.

"I'm fine, buddy," said Ash.

"Grov Grovyle."

"He escaped," said Ash. "Just when I thought he was done and out, he suddenly destroys the ground and falls in. I went after him but he was gone. That asshole! I have to fine him n-"

Lugia's wing broke through the wall and went deeper within the temple, and then exiting on the other side in front of Ash. Ash kept his Pokemon near him.

When it was over, his mouth was agape.

"What the hell was that?!"

He felt the temple rumble.

Grovyle placed a hand on its trainer's shoulder. Ash looked at it, and then sighed.

"You're right," he said. "Another day then."

He quickly returned Grovyle and Corphish and sent out Staravia.

He shot an Aura Breath at the wall until there was a way out. He grabbed Pikachu as Staravia grabbed him, and they flew out of there.

* * *

Teardrops continued falling from Sora's face. May watched silently. The temple continued to shake.

"May!" called out Lucas, coming right back with his Pidgeotto. He stopped his Pokemon and he looked around at the destruction. "It seems that the tides have turned to our favor. That's great. Now we can-"

He then spotted Sora.

"Sora? Sora! I thought the Aura Guardian was supposed to take care of him!"

"Wait, Lucas!" yelled May. "I...um...I think it's over. There is no reason to keep fighting."

"What?"

Then something strange happened.

The walls and the rubble of the destroyed temple starting glowing blue.

It felt hot, and it felt dangerous.

Lugia exited from the temple and stopped to look.

_"Aura. I see. The cannon is supposed to recharge if it misses its shot. I destroyed the point to shoot from, so the aura is just building up without an escape, and it's continuing to build up. It'll keep building up until it releases explosively."_

"It would be like an explosion is every direction," said Lucas. "With the size of the temple and the force of the buildup, it could be a large destructive one. It could even reach out to Sootopolis City and obliterate us as well."

_"Correct."_

"But what about the power source?!" asked May. "We've destroyed this place enough and we still haven't found it. Where is it?!"

"It's within me," said Sora suddenly.

He slowly rose to his feet.

"You thought I'd be dumb enough to let it out in the open so you guys can simply destroy it like some damn heroes," he continued. "As long as I'm standing, aura will continuing to flow. I'm smarter than that."

"Sora..." said May, but she was suddenly struck by Sora with a sharp wind that knocked her off the temple toward the ocean.

Lucas was going to quickly save her, but Ash beat him to it.

Ash flew by with Staravia and caught May in his arms.

"Be more careful," said Ash.

"Ash, Sora is the power source!" yelled May. "This place is going to blow if he's not stopped!"

"You found him?!" asked Ash. "He's asking for another face pounding!"

"What about Brendan and Dawn?" asked May. "Did they come out with you?"

"Do you want me to take care of Sora or them?"

They heard screaming that sounded like a little girl. Ash turned and saw Brendan falling toward the ocean. He must've fallen out from a hole on the temple.

Dawn ran to a hole on the temple. She rammed her fist on her palm, then creating an ice air glider. She grabbed on and jumped off. She caught Brendan on top of it.

"Alright there, Brendena?" asked Dawn with a smug look.

"I...whatever," said Brendan.

"Glalie, Steelix, retreat!" ordered Lucas. Seconds later, Mega Steelix broke out of the temple by drilling through. Mega Glalie followed. Their mega forms went away, reverting them to normal, and then they were both returned by Lucas.

"They're safe," said Ash. "Now for Sora."

He flew up and went for Sora.

He charged at him, but suddenly, he hit an invisible wall. Staravia moved back and tried going in from another spot, but they hit an invisible wall again.

"What the hell?" asked Ash. "This is a-"

"Sora!" yelled May.

"I'll show you father," said Sora. "I'll show you that my power greatly exceeds yours. I...am all powerful!"

He rose his head. His eyes were blue.

"He created an air barrier around the whole temple," said Sora as he and his Pigeotto tried going in from another spot, but they couldn't get through. "It's getting tougher and tougher every second. What the hell are you doing, Sora?!"

"I'll show you, I'll show you," said Sora. "I'll show you I don't need your power! No matter the force, no matter the power, I will be more powerful! I don't need your power anymore, father! I'll show you my power right here and right now!"

"He's going to contain the explosion," said Brendan. "He's inside! He'll get destroyed, too."

"Sora, get out of there!" yelled May.

The temple started to glow brighter.

"Sora!"

With one final yell, the temple exploded with an explosion of furious aura. The explosion stayed within the wind barrier at first, but then it broke through, and the explosion engulfed them all.

* * *

Ash opened his eyes. He sat up quickly.

Smoke rose up into the air in the distance. He felt the ground bob up and down, but then he realized it wasn't ground.

It was Lugia's back.

Beside him were Brendan and Dawn. May was sitting off to the side staring at the smoke. Lucas was above Pigeotto, following Lugia, but his eyes stayed on the smoke.

"Thank Arceus you're alive," said Brendan. "I started to worry."

"We're okay?" asked Ash.

"You're alive now, aren't you?" asked Dawn.

_"You children barely survived," _said Lugia. _"My son's barrier reduced the radius of the explosion, but I prevented it from killing you kids with my own power. Missing for a second would've been fatal."_

Ash looked at May.

"Where's Sora?" he asked to everyone else.

No one responded.

"I can't sense him anymore," said May suddenly. "I can't feel him at all."

* * *

The sun was setting in the horizon.

On the shore of Sootopolis City, May and Lugia were together. Many people watched far away at the surprise that Lugia was right outside their city but they didn't dare to come closed after being threatened by Ash.

The two were having a talk.

_"I'm sorry that he's caused so many problems for you. I should've kept a closer eye on him."_

May pulled her bandaged legs closer to her face.

"Are you sad?" she asked.

Lugia stayed quiet for a bit, but then it proceeded to talk once again.

_"Of course. What parent would not be sad over their child's disappearance? I can no longer feel him as well, but I know he's out there. I will search for him, and I will x_

"I don't know," said May. "I just am."

_"That's something you inherit from your mother. She always cared about every living thing, no matter how much evil was within them. You have most of her traits. Her kindness, her beauty, and her heart. She made a wonderful child. If you controlled your power, you would've been far stronger than Sora. Your power is more than just destruction. It can heal things, and bring things to life. You have to reach that stage in your power. I trust you to continue your mother and my goal. I know you can."_

"Do you think he saved us from dying?" asked May.

_"I don't know. He didn't sound like he was, but I did feel it a little bit. Just a little."_

May looked up at him.

"Do you think the same way as Sora?" she asked. "Are you also envious?"

_"No. I'm content with the power I have. All I care about is protecting those with what I've got. I just wish Sora thought the same."_

He started retreating back into the ocean.

_"I will continue to look. Take care, child."_

_"_Wait," said May. "Have you spoken to my mother? What does she think of me now?"

Lugia stopped without turning back.

_"She's proud of you. Very, very proud."_

It then dove into the ocean.

A small smile formed on May's face.

* * *

"You're leaving already?" asked Brendan. "You sure you don't want to go looking for Sora first?"

"No," said Lucas, staring at the Clear and Tidal Bells he was holding. "I believe he's dead, and I would like to leave it that way."

"Where are you headed now?" asked Dawn.

"To do my duty, of course," said Lucas, with bandages in every place of his body other than the front of his face. "I will also make sure these bells are never used in the wrong ever again. Even though Sora killed many of my people, a lot weren't in the village at the time. I will look for them and build my village again. That is my goal from now on."

He then looked at Ash, and then bowed.

"Thank you. Your power truly shows you're a swell Aura Guardian."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Ash while trying to cover his arm with bandages. "Just get out of here."

"Be more respectful," said Dawn.

Lucas turned around and pulled out a Pokeball, releasing Pigeotto. He got on top.

"And hey," said Ash, "we still haven't settled things. The next time we meet, I'm gonna pay you back for that punch you gave me when you first saw me."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Lucas. He patted his Pokemon's back, and then they soared up to the sky and left.

When he was out of sight, Brendan sighed.

"Finally. The more he stayed, the longer I felt like he was going to arrest me."

"Why?!" asked Dawn.

Ash looked back at May by the shore. Lugia wasn't with her, so he must've left. He slowly walked toward her. He placed a hand on her head.

"You alright?"

"I'm okay," said May as she took his hand and held it tightly. "Thank you."

Ash nodded and then slowly helped her to her feet.

"Ash, do you believe Sora saved us?" asked May.

Ash stared at her.

"Whether or not he did, I won't be thanking him. I would've done something myself."

"You're being selfish."

"Whatever," said Ash. "Let's head back to the Pokemon Center. You deserve some rest."

"I do," said May. Brendan and Dawn waited for them. Ash led her.

She walked toward him.

_"May..."_

May quickly stopped and looked back toward the ocean. The wind blew past her hair and body. It felt strangely calm.

She slowly smiled.

"What's wrong?" asked Ash.

"Nothing," answered May. "Let's go take a nap."

* * *

Within the darkest part of the sea, Sora body drifted lower and lower.

His arms were covered in blue scales, which was aura stuck to his face. There was some attached to half his face as well.

An air bubble escaped his mouth, and he sunk deeper.

This was the end of Sora's journey.

**(Ending Song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** After so long, the day has come. The day when light within the Aura Guardian and the darkness within Sephiroth's pawn has arrived, and the battle to see who is the strongest begins. Who is stronger, and who will overcome the other: the light or the dark? **Next Time: Ash and Gary 1 (Confrontation).**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Now this was the LONGEST chapter I've ever done! I just had to make it this long though, just to build the impact of Sora's final battle. This may be the end of him, this may not, but that will be clarified when THAT time happens. Lucas was a great OC to write about, and this is not the last time you'll see him. He may appear later as well. Now about my update schedule. I can no longer "promise" when it's going to be fixed, but I'm sure it should be fixed during the beginning of next season. **

**Sora was a great character to write about. Now it's time to get this season over with the last three chapters of the season, and the battle that you've been waiting for in a while.**

**See you next chapter! **

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 4,208)**


	24. Ash and Gary 1 (Confrontation)

**This is the one hundred fifty-eighth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Now begins the fight that will test the strengths of Ash and Gary and settle their rivalry. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening Song)**

Misty opened her eyes slowly.

She was still in that dark room on that bed. She was looking up at the ceiling as a thick red blanket rested on her.

"Good morning, Misty."

The first voice she had to hear was Sephiroth. It just HAD to be her uncle.

"You've been out for a while," continued Sephiroth. "You could've died if I wasn't here to take care of your injuries. You should be thanking me."

She slowly turned her body for her stomach to touch the bed.

"Where's Gary?" she asked.

"You wake up and the first thing you ask for is that boy?" asked Sephiroth. "I sent him on a mission."

"Is this mission May related?"

"Not this time," said Sephiroth. "It's more about that Aura Guardian."

"Why?"

Sephiroth smirked.

"This may be the last mission Gary Oak ever goes on," said Sephiroth. "If he does come back, then he'd be a completely changed person, even more changed than he already is. He's going to settle it with that boy. He's not going to hold back this time."

Misty slowly elevated herself with her arms.

"If you're thinking about interfering, you're out of luck this time," said Sephiroth. "I placed a barrier around this cabin. No one's allowed in or out. It's negated once Gary steps foot on this island or if 72 hours pass. I made sure to take extra precautions this time, sweetheart."

Misty semi-turned to him while glaring.

He only responded with an even larger smirk.

"Let's play a game to pass the time, shall we?"

**Ash and Gary 1 (Confrontation)**

* * *

Gary was sitting within a thin alley. It was just a small gap between two buildings. So small that his back leaned against one building, and the tip of his shoe against the other building. The top was sealed by something that connected the two buildings. The light came from the entrance into the alley.

Gary was staring at his sword that was held out in front of him. He spun it around whiling staring at the blade. The flat end showed his reflection.

He stared at himself. He noticed how much he had changed.

But he didn't care.

He shut his eyes.

_"The only person who stands in your way, the person who is stronger than you right now, is Ash Ketchum."_

Gary's closed right eye twitched.

He remembered all those times Ash and he clashed. He remembered how he always beat Ash to the ground. He remembered how annoyed he was when Ash came up to him, asking for a fight. He remembered how great he felt when he put Ash in his place.

But now, all that was crushed when he learned that this boy was "stronger" than him.

It made no sense, but Sephiroth knew a lot. He couldn't take any risks. He always thought that killing Marluxia would end his path to power, but he was mistaken.

There were many, many more paths.

He slowly stood up and proceeded to walk out of the alley.

He was not going to back down this time. This time, he was sure as hell he was going to end this.

He slowly placed his sword in its sheath.

* * *

Sootopolis City went through another day like any other day. There were hardly any crimes, for the police force and the gym leader that resided in the city made sure that there wasn't any.

Five days ago, when Sora wrecked buildings and cost many people their lives, was when the city actually had something going on after two months of absolutely nothing.

But right now, another problem had occurred. It didn't look like this city could get a higher peaceful streak anytime soon.

A little's girl's scream was heard in the center of the city. Even people that were by busy roads and rivers could hear it clearly.

The scream had come from Ash, who was slumping forward as he held his abdomen. May stood over him.

"Don't be a baby," said May.

"What the hell was that for?" asked Ash. "Take better care of my wounds!"

"Were you thinking that when you got into a with those those guys just because they stepped on your foot?"

Behind them, near a fountain, were at least ten adolescent boys who were leaning all around the fountain structure. They were all knocked out.

"They had it coming!" yelled Ash.

"Stepping on your foot doesn't show killing intent."

"It was my damaged foot!"

"Whatever!"

May grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him up. She checked his abdomen, where a purple bruise had formed.

"It got larger," said May, and she proceeded to pat a ice cold, wet towel on it. "You could really put your life in danger by taking these risks."

"I'm fine," said Ash, flinching at the pain. "The pain has reduced a little."

"What do you think Dawn would say?" asked May

"And why would I give a fuck at what Dawn says?" asked Ash with a smirk.

"Repeat that, Ketchum. I dare you."

Ash quickly turned around, only to Dawn with her arms crossed in front of her chest with a dark glare. Brendan was behind her while looking at the beaten boys.

"What the hell happened while we were just getting supplies?" asked Brendan. "This is why you're not a likable person."

"It's only fair to beat him the way he beat them," said Dawn.

Ash started to furiously sweat. He tried making a run for it, but he forgot May was softly patting his bruise. Pushing toward her arm applied more pressure, and the boy let out a high pitched "eep". He was then held up by Brendan from the back of his shirt.

"Come on, Ketchum," said Brendan. "We're leaving before Officer Jenny shows up."

"Aye sir."

* * *

Ash held his shirt up in front of the mirror in the two bunk bed room he and his friends shared. No one else was in the room by Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu sat on the bed while looking at Ash.

"Pika Pi?"

"I'm gonna be okay," said Ash as he looked at the large bruise on the right side of his abdomen. "It'll heal up at some point."

He pulled down his shirt and then looked at his open backpack that sat on his bed. He walked over to it and checked inside while taking stuff out and putting stuff in.

"Don't worry, though, I'll still be able to fight and stuff," said Ash. "I just have to make sure no one hits that area. Simple as that."

"Pika."

It lowered its head, looking at its trainer with disbelief.

"Hey, have some faith in me!" said Ash, quickly turning to looking Pikachu. This action caused his backpack to fall back and it hit his bruise. A small, pained sound escaped his mouth. He flinched and moved back as the backpack continued falling. It hit the ground and all of its contents spilled out.

The series of events made Pikachu jerk its head up to look at what happened.

"Pika Pi!"

"I'm fine. Just Arceus being a dick."

He bent down to pick up the materials with some help from Pikachu.

"Thanks pal," said Ash after shoving the last of the contents in the backpack.

Pikachu was about to get back in bed, but then it noticed something under the bed. It crouched down and took the rectangular object in its mouth. It nudged Ash to get him to notice.

Ash looked down at Pikachu. He took the object in Pikachu's mouth.

It was a photo. He was staring at the back of it. As soon as he turned it around, a grim expression formed on his face.

It was an old photo. It was a photo that he kept with him since the beginning of this quest. It was simply a photo he shoved into the deepest end of his backpack, never to be seen again. He remembered when May caught a glimpse of it during the beginning of their journey.

It was the picture of Ash, Gary, and Drew with their arms over each other's shoulders. They were way younger. The picture was taken at least six years ago.

They all had large smiles on their faces.

It was a time that was way simpler than now.

"Pika Pi?"

"Nothing," said Ash, quickly shoving the picture into his backpack. He placed it on his back, and then extended his arm for Pikachu to jump on it and climb up to his shoulder.

"Let's go."

He went out and shut the door.

* * *

He walked into the lobby, where his other friends were waiting.

"Took you long enough," said Brendan. "You usually don't take that long."

"He does have an injury, Brendan," said May, getting down from the window ledge and walked toward Ash. "Did you hurt yourself while packing up? You're walking with a limp."

"How did you know?" asked Ash in a low voice. "I mean, no I did not! I'm perfectly fine."

He walked past May and walked out of the Pokemon Center.

"We should keep a close eye on him," said Dawn. "I take no responsibility for this. He decided he didn't want to rest until it was healed."

"I guess he'll get around it somehow," said Brendan, taking out a map. "Let's go."

They walked out to follow Ash.

* * *

"Are you sure you brought the right map this time?" asked Dawn, looking over at the map spread out in front of him.

They were on a wide path with trees that led into a deep forest that lined it.

"I hear that the path ahead is really dangerous at night," said Brendan. "By the time we get there, it'll get dark. If we wait and then go in the morning, it takes at least two days to get through it, so doing that is a bad idea. We'll just have to take a detour past some rocky terrain. We should rest in caves over there."

"Yeah, but do you have the right map?"

"Yes, I do."

Behind them were Ash and May. Ash looked exhausted while walking. They had only left the city thirty minutes ago. May watched on with concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"How many times do I have to answer that?" asked Ash, obviously annoyed. "I can survive."

"We can take a break."

"I don't want any," said Ash. "I have to be prepared if whenever he shows up. I can't be lying on my ass for that."

"There's no reason to give a tough boy act. If you need to rest, you rest."

"Why don't you give your worrying a rest?"

May smiled.

"You're so cute."

"SHUT UP! Stop that! Hey!"

May had already tried cuddling with Ash as he tried pushing her away. Brendan and Dawn looked back and sweat-dropped.

Pikachu had a mocking smile on its face. Then something came into its sense of smell. It looked ahead and slowly placed its paw on Ash's cheek.

"Pika."

Ash stopped and looked at what Pikachu was looking at. Brendan and Dawn had already stopped. May realized Ash had stopped and looked forward as well.

They saw Gary, the boy who had been attacking them a lot lately, coming their way.

"Gary?" asked Ash.

It was weird. He usually attacked them with a sneak attack, but this time, he just causally walked to them. There was no weapon in his hand.

It was strange.

As he got closer, Dawn slowly got into a position to quickly mold ice in an instant and Brendan's eyes had already turned emerald green.

Gary just kept walking. When he was close enough, he finally stopped.

There was silence.

"Well?" asked Brendan. "What do you want?"

Gary's glare darted from Brendan, to Dawn, to May. Ash quickly reacted and moved May so she could be behind him.

Then his eyes were set upon Ash, and it stayed there. Their eyes were locked.

But Ash felt something different with Gary's eyes.

"I have no business with the rest of you," said Gary. "I'm only here for Ash."

"What?" asked Dawn. "What for?"

"If you want something with Ash, you're gonna have to tell all of us," said Brendan.

"Yeah!"

Gary's glare returned to them. He didn't say anything, and then he slowly looked at Ash again.

"We're going to fight. Right now."

"Now you must be crazy," said Dawn.

"If you think we'll just let you take Ash after all the things you've done to us, you've got another thing coming, buddy," said Brendan. "I'll take you-"

"Yeah, fine, I'll fight," said Ash.

"What?"

"What?"

"What?!" asked May. "Do you realize what you just said?"

"Yeah, I said I'll fight him," said Ash.

"No! You have an injury! Fighting will just make it worse."

"What are you talking about, May?" asked Ash with a smile as he placed a hand on her head. "It's just a simple fight. No one's gonna die."

He walked away from her toward Gary. Brendan placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Ash, are you being serous right now?"

"Yeah," said Ash, giving Brendan a look that caused Brendan to raise an eyebrow. "I've for this under control. No need to worry."

He took Pikachu off his shoulder and placed it in Brendan's hands. He gave it a nod, and then turned to Gary. He walked closer to him until he stood in front of him.

"Let's take this fight someplace else," said Ash. "I need more room to really let loose."

Gary didn't respond. A crack of thunder was heard, and the boy was already gone. Ash saw where he went.

"We're coming with you," said Dawn.

"No!" yelled Ash, glaring at them. "You guys stay HERE! Do not get in between this! I'll be right back!"

He ran into the forest before his friends could say anything else.

* * *

Gary's feet crashed onto a branch and used it to propel him forward. The branch broke and fell to the forest ground. Ash quickly jumped over it and kept on running while trying to keep a close eye on Gary.

"Gary! Stop running! You're gonna answer a whole lot of questions for me, dammit! Slow down so you can answer them!"

Gary didn't pay attention, nor did he even turn back. His foot landed on another branch, and he launched himself forward once again.

"Gary!"

Gary's feet landed on another, and this time, he used his lightning powers and bolted like a bolt of lightning away. Ash was going to lose sight of him at this rate.

"Dammit!"

He stopped, and then aura surrounded his feet. He used this to propel himself into the air. He then propelled himself forward like a rocket jet, getting past Gary and stopping in front of him.

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

Gary didn't stop. He moved like a bolt of lightning and quickly moved aside and appeared behind Ash and kept going.

Ash noticed he had escaped and looked back. He fell to the ground and rolled over to his feet. His bruise hurt like hell, but he didn't have time to think about the pain. He rose to his feet and kept going, eventually getting out of the forest and came to a cliff that overlooked the rocky wasteland with high rocks that rose higher than others.

He saw Gary jumping on one high rock to another.

"Wait up!" yelled Ash, and he jumped off the cliff. He landed on a tall rock formation and jumped toward another.

Finally he landed on one, and Gary landed on one higher than Ash's at the same time.

Now Ash and Gary were face to face. They were ready to begin the fight that would end the rivalry between them.

"Gary..." said Ash in a low voice.

Gary slowly removed his sword from its sheath and held it out in front of him.

"What the hell is your problem?" asked Ash.

"This is no ordinary fight," said Gary. "This fight is to the death."

He pointed his sword at Ash.

"The death?" asked Ash. "No way! When I tell you I am going to kill you, it was just to show how serious I was to fight you! I was never going to actually kill you! If you want to fight so badly, then I will fight you, but first you have to answer stuff for me."

"There is nothing I have to answer!"

"Um, yes you do! A whole lot actually!"

"Doesn't matter if I answer them or not," said Gary. "You won't be alive long enough."

"Quit it!" yelled Ash. "Stop being like that, Gary! You're not that type of person! I know you are way smarter than that! The only answer is that someone else is making you do this! Tell me who it is now!"

Gary got in a position to fight.

"I'm not fighting you, Gary!"

"You'll be forced to," said Gary. "Let's begin!"

His foot pushed down at the rock formation he stood on, and a crater formed around his foot. He launched himself off it and went for Ash with his sword held back to swing.

"Dammit, Gary!"

Ash quickly materialized his Aura Blade and he swung his blade to push Gary's blade away. Gary had moved his other hand that was not holding onto the sword back into a fist. Lightning surrounded it and his fist crashed against Ash's side.

The force of the punch sent Ash toward the rocky terrain down below. Ash's feet was pushed against the ground as he moved back. He finally stopped and took a deep breath. The bruise on his side hurt, but he had to make sure Gary hadn't noticed it. He also had to make sure Gary's attacks don't head toward there. It could put him in real deep trouble.

Gary landed on the ground and bolted toward Ash. Ash got ready.

Their blades clashed twice. Gary rammed his foot on Ash's gut, making him stagger back. He swung his blade at Ash's neck with great force, but Ash ducked and threw a fist at Gary, but he got out of the way too quickly.

He rose his hand and then the ground cracked up. A surge of lightning up at Ash. He jumped out of the way and landed on the ground on all fours.

He quickly shot an Aura Breath at Gary, but Gary cut through it with his lightning covered blade. Gary swung his arm down and a thunderbolt headed for Ash. Ash barely dodged this one, and the damage the attack caused sent Ash up in the air. The debris struck him as he held his arms up.

_"He's going all out!"_

Gary moved like a bolt of lighting and launched himself off the side of a rock formation to another and kept going in a zigzag fashion until he got up to Ash and elbowed the boy on the face. Ash was sent to the ground hard. He groaned and coughed before ramming his fist on the ground.

Gary landed on the ground behind him, and Ash heard a surge of lightning surround his blade. Ash quickly got up and turned to Gary. Just at that time, Gary had suddenly tossed his sword at Ash like a spear covered in lightning. Ash moved to the side as it brushed past him. He quickly created an Aura Sphere and tossed it at Gary. It struck the area Gary was standing on, but Gary himself wasn't there.

He suddenly appeared in front of Ash and thrust his fist at Ash's face, but Ash ducked and rammed an Aura covered fist into Gary's gut. The boy didn't seem too fazed at it though. Ash tossed another, but Gary smacked it aside and landed a punch to Ash's face. He then rammed his fist into Ash's gut, and then another, and another, and another until a fury of fists crashed into struck Ash. He then kicked Ash across the face, sending him flying away.

Ash connected his feet to the ground and stopped just as the sword brushed past him again after flying past it. Gary appeared behind Ash and caught the sword at the handle, ready to swing it at Ash's back. Ash quickly moved and the sword cut strands of his hair off.

Gary snapped his finger and the shockwave that was produced when thunder crashed formed, launching Ash's away with its force.

Ash landed on the ground and coughed up blood.

He slowly tried getting himself up as he breathed heavily. He took the hat on his head and placed it on the ground.

"You know, I tried to be nice and follow May's example to settle things by talking it out, but I guess that's no use," said Ash as he stood and turned to Gary as his palm covered his fist. "Fine then! I'll just beat you until you're unconscious, tie you to a chair, and then force you to tell me everything you know, asshole!"

Gary got into position.

Ash got into position.

Now, beating down their opponent was the only thing going through their minds.

* * *

"That idiot!" yelled May as she kicked aside a large rock as she continued to walk around in circles. "He just had to fight after getting those injuries after fighting Sora! After all that's happened, he still thinks he should just fight Gary for fun! That's stupid! He could fall unconscious and get his butt kicked!"

"Maybe we should have followed him," said Dawn. "I hear explosions not too far from here. Pikachu, can you smell Ash?"

Pikachu sadly shook its head.

"Gary must have made sure he's not followed," said Brendan. "Smart bastard."

"Even after all this time, Ash still doesn't understand that we can help him out sometimes," said Dawn. "He doesn't have to do everything alone."

"This time is different," said Brendan. "I saw the look in his eyes before he left. He wanted to fight alone because this time he felt that this was his battle, and his battle alone. Even if we did follow him he'd insist we do nothing. All we can do is wait."

"I don't have the patience to wait," said May as she walked around in circles nervously.

Dawn watched her, and then she noticed something else. Something, more like someone, was coming their way.

"Misty!" yelled Dawn.

Misty noticed them and walked closer. She didn't looked too cheerful. A grim look was on her face.

"Are you alright?" asked Dawn as she went up to her. "The last time we saw you, you were near death. Are you alright now? How's it been?"

"I'm fine," said Misty.

"What are you doing here?" asked Brendan. "It is Gary related again?"

"Why else would I be here?" she asked. "Did you see Gary yet?"

"Yeah," answered May. "He challenged Ash to a fight and they left ten minutes ago."

"I'm too late then," sad Misty, looking toward the forest.

"Too late for what?" asked May. "Ash said it was going to be a regular fight."

"No," said Misty. "It is not just a regular fight. This one is serious."

"What do you mean?" asked Brendan.

Misty turned to them.

"This is Gary's final mission. This time, he is ordered to kill Ash. But with what they are right now, they could wipe each other out."

May and the others were frozen. They knew Gary was out to kill May, but when did it suddenly change to Ash?

But Misty didn't have time to be shocked.

"We don't have much time!" yelled Misty. "Let's get over there and stop them."

**(Ending Song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** Ash and Gary's fight rages on and Gary is holding nothing back to make sure he completes his goal. But as Ash continues to fight Gary, he starts to realize what they had, and why it should have continued to be like the way it was. How will Ash start to realize things from his memories, and how will Misty find a way to intervene this time? **Next Time: Ash and Gary 2 (Light Within the Dark).**

* * *

**That was that chapter. You may be question (or maybe not) about how Misty is outside even after her uncle said she wouldn't be able to leave the cabin. That will be explained next chapter. She's smarter than she looks. Ash and Gary's fight is already starting to heat up and it will continue to heat up in the chapters that are coming. You soon understand what Sephiroth meant when he said that Ash was stronger than Gary, and remember that Misty knows about this too after overhearing Gary and Sephiroth talk about it. They will finally settle things with the next two chapters and then real shit happens. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 4,734)**


	25. Ash and Gary 2 (Light Within the Dark)

**This is the one hundred fifty-ninth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Here is a second chapter out of nowhere. I finished the last one and I just quickly moved on to this one because I was really hyped to write this. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening Song)**

_Ash was within a dark void. He couldn't see what was around him nor could he see himself._

_He didn't know why, but he felt...sad._

_A small light was seen far away. Ash walked toward it, and slowly light engulfed him. _

_He was now surrounded by that light. He could see himself, but he couldn't see nothing but the light around him. He contained to walk._

_He was not the Ash of the present. He was the Ash of the past. The Ash seven years ago._

_The Ash that was alone._

_He saw silhouettes of children playing around on the playground. When he got close enough, they stopped what they were doing and walked away while looking at him fearfully._

_"Why am I left out?" _

_He saw adults take the children away, and then they disappeared deeper into the light. Ash just kept walking._

_"What did I do to them?" _

_He felt a hand on his head and he stopped. The silhouette of a man bent down on one knee was in front of him. When Ash looked up at him, that man smiled._

_"You don't have to worry, Ash," said the man. "They'll understand soon. It'll take a while, but they will understand."_

_It was his father, Sir Aaron that spoke to him. He disappeared, and Ash kept walking. He saw the silhouette of his father and his mother to the distance. She seemed to be sitting on a chair as his father stood by the window._

_"Do you think we should leave Pallet Town?" asked his mother. "I don't think it's the right place for Ash anymore."_

_"We don't need to," said Sir Aaron. "Ash is going to be alright."_

_"But he's not making anymore friends," continued his mother. "He'll be alone."_

_"He won't," said Sir Aaron, turning to her. "He'll make a ton of friends soon. He has a power that people can't immediately accept. When they do, they'll be kind to Ash. Ash was born into this world for a reason. He'll show them why he's special. I believe it."_

_They disappeared. Ash kept walking until three silhouettes slightly taller than him appeared. He stopped and looked up at the middle one._

_"Look, it's Ketchum!"_

_"You mean the monster?"_

_"Why are you walking around in the open, monster? Looking for some prey?"_

_They all started laughing. Ash just stared at them._

_"Why do they hate me?" he thought._

_"Hey, are you listening, idiot? HUH?!"_

_The middle one pushed Ash to the ground. Ash didn't show any resistance. He just stared at the ground as he lifted his upper body with his arms._

_"You know, if I beat this guy up, you think I'd be known as someone who beat up the monster?"_

_"Do it! But we have to get some credit, too."_

_"Why not?"_

_The middle one walked closer to Ash and held up a fist._

_The fist didn't make contact with Ash. Instead, another fist punched that boy. Ash looked up in shock as two other silhouettes suddenly showed up and started fighting against the three other silhouettes. Punches were thrown until the three silhouettes fell to the ground. They sat up as the two silhouettes that fought against them stood in front of Ash._

_The black that covered them slowly began to fade away, and Ash started to see their features._

_One had green hair while the other had brown, spiky hair that rose from his head._

_"If you wanted to bully someone without any reason to, you should've expected me to beat you down, Joseph," said the brunette._

_Ash stared at the back of his saviors. The backs of Drew Hayden and Gary Oak._

_"Why..." thought Ash. "...are they standing up for me?"_

**Ash and Gary 2 (Light Within the Dark)**

* * *

The sound of blades clashing rang throughout the rocky wasteland. The sound of grunts and fists connecting with faces vibrated the pebbles on the ground.

A large rock formation suddenly broke apart. As the rubble fell to the ground, Ash and Gary appeared within it. Gary was above Ash and Ash was holding onto his side where his bruise was.

Gary suddenly grabbed onto his collar, spun around, and threw Ash toward the ground.

Ash was able to safely place his feet on the ground, but not without the ground getting pushed down as cracks formed around him. Gary landed on the ground not too far from him. He swung his arm as electricity formed around it, and it was released in a surge of blue lightning that went for Ash.

Ash held his Aura Blade in front of him, defending himself from the attack as it pushed him back and as his feet dug deeper into the ground.

When it was over, Gary appeared in front of him and swung his sword at Ash. Ash reacted quickly and deflected the strike with his blade. He quickly swung his Aura Blade at Gary's sword that was coming back for him, and then pushed Gary away as he elbowed Gary on the gut.

Aura covered his elbow, and then his fist crashed against Gary's chin, sending Gary and a spiral of aura up in the air.

Gary looked down at Ash and connected his hands together, sending bolts of lightning down at him. They struck him as smoke rose from the damage afterward.

Gary looked for Ash in the smoke. It was suddenly blown away, and Ash came at him as aura propelled him upward. He appeared over Gary and struck the brunette with his aura covered foot, sending him to the ground. Gary used his power to reposition his body to land on his feet. Ash landed away from him.

Gary slowly stood as he stared at the ground.

"Hey, Gary, quit it," said Ash. "I'll fight you however you want later."

"I don't get it," said Gary under his breath.

"Huh?"

Gary stood as he glared at Ash.

"I don't get it!" he yelled. "Your power...your power is nothing compared to mine! Why did he say that about you then?! It makes no sense!"

"What are you blabbering about?" asked Ash.

Gary then yelled out. His voice vibrated throughout the area, and electricity slowly crackled around him. It came together, and then burst out in a dome of lightning that grew larger and larger.

Ash quickly hopped back repeatedly as Gary's attack caused the ground to lift up and for rocks to levitate around him.

It suddenly stopped and the rocks fell to the ground.

Gary surrounded himself in lightning, and then he sped toward Ash. Ash engulfed his arm in aura. When Gary got close enough, Ash swung his fist to strike him, but he disappeared in a bolt of lightning that circled Ash and moved toward his back. Gary appeared there and he delivered a harsh kick to Ash's back.

The force of the kick sent Ash away as he bounced off the ground repeatedly. He stopped when he crashed into the face of a large rock formation. He fell to the ground, leaving a mold of himself on the rock.

He lifted his head to look up at Gary. The boy placed his feet on the ground and straightened up as he glared at Ash.

"What the hell is going on in that head of yours, Gary?" he asked through his clenched teeth.

"I'll prove to the old man," said Gary as lightning surrounded his body once again. "I'll prove to him that he was wrong. I'll prove to him that I'm already the strongest!"

"What are you talking about, man?" asked Ash as he stood from the ground.

Gary had already propelled himself at Ash at lightning speed, giving Ash no time to react. He grabbed Ash by he neck and dragged him through the rock formation behind him and through others as well.

The rocks fell to the ground one after another. Ash's yell of pain was heard before they entered and exited each formation.

They entered another, but they did not exit. Instead, it exploded, and the two were within. Blood fell from Ash's mouth and arm.

Gary was next to him, glaring at the boy.

Everything was moving so slowly as Gary's fist was engulfed in lightning. He moved it back as his eyes were locked onto Ash.

_"I'll prove I'm stronger than you!"_

He thrust his fist forward, striking Ash on the gut. Blood shot out from the Aura Guardian's mouth, and he was launched away as an explosion blew down rock formations and sent smoke into the air. Ash was sent flying through more rock formations as Gary landed on the rubble that littered the ground. He just watched as Ash got farther and farther until he stopped.

Gary used his power to move toward Ash's location.

* * *

Brendan, May, Dawn, and Misty ran past trees within the forest. They heard explosions in the distance, but one followed another in different places, so it was hard to pinpoint where the two boys were exactly.

"That bastard," groaned Brendan. "He's really not holding back at all."

"Are we going the right way?" asked Dawn.

"May," said Misty. "Are you sure he's this way."

"I-I think," said May. "I can feel him near here, but he keeps moving around. Pikachu, can you smell him now?"

Pikachu shook its head.

"The explosions and the dust must be confusing it," said Misty.

They felt the ground shake furiously, forcing them to stop. A large explosion followed, one that was so big yet far away. A shockwave blew harsh air toward them, forcing them to firmly place their feet on the ground to stay still.

When it was all over, Misty removed her arms from her face and saw the area around them.

Some trees were down. Their hair slowly rose as the electrically charged air surrounded them. She looked toward the smoke that rose toward the air. Her eyes were wide open.

"What the hell is going on over there?" asked Brendan.

"He can't be serious," whispered Misty, but then she broke into a shout. "He can't possibly be going along with this! He can't be this crazy! Hurry! We have to stop those monsters!"

They started running again, finally finding out the location of the two boys.

* * *

Sephiroth sighed.

His head was placed on the palm of his hand as his arm was placed on the table in the room.

"I've got to admit, she's one smart girl," he said as he stared at the yellow balloon with Misty's face drawn on it. "I made sure to seal off the exits in this cabin, but I seemed to have forgotten that a scroll could be used as an exit from the inside. But I only made one scroll for Gary to get to where he needed to go. If she did take a scroll, she wouldn't have landed near him, making it a waste of his time. But she found a way past that."

He picked up a burned scroll near the bed.

"I made Gary's scroll a week ago, and Misty made this exact copy all by herself. Quite impressive. She used one of my spells without much training, but it wasn't complete. She's lucky she didn't get trapped within the Corridor of Darkness. Quite persistent."

He tossed the scroll aside.

"This means she also woke up before today. Even with her intellect, she couldn't have made this in a day. But I already suspected that she was awake. She can't get by me that easily."

Sephiroth laughed.

"But she's too late anyway, so there's no need to get her."

He smirked.

"Their battle should be reaching its conclusion soon enough."

His smirk vanished, and he sighed as he lowered his head.

"That's what I get for letting her use the bathroom."

* * *

Ash's body rolled away until he came to a stop as he placed his hands firmly on the ground.

Blood was leaving from his right arm and mouth, one leg of his pants was torn away.

He was breathing heavily, trying to regain his consciousness.

He looked up, and he wasn't surprised that Gary was already above him.

He crossed his arms in front of his face as Gary's foot swung at him, sending him flying away once again.

Ash landed on the ground and tried getting up, but then he felt a sharp pain from his side. He let out a painful yell and placed his hand over his wound.

_"Shit! Not now!"_

Gary clutched his sword harder, and then prepared to head toward Ash once again.

But before his foot crashed onto the ground, the voice of someone he thought he'd never hear for a long time reached his ears.

"Gary!"

He stopped, and turned to the source of the sound.

Just as he expected, there she was, staring down at him from a rocky ledge that was just outside the forest.

"Misty," he muttered the name silently as shock covered his expression.

May ran outside the forest behind Misty, quickly looking down and looking around until her eyes caught sight of Ash, beaten up on the ground.

"Ash!"

_"May?" _thought Ash. _"I thought I told her to stay back. Don't tell me the others are here, too."_

Right after, Brendan and Dawn exited the forest as well, looking down at them.

There was complete silence as they all stared at one another.

It was not until a single movement from Gary's finger that made Misty break the ice.

"Get away from Ash, Gary!"

This forced Gary out of his shocked state and to return to being serious.

"Why are you here?" he asked as he turned back to Ash. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

"I don't have to answer that. I told you to back away from Ash."

"Just get away from here. This is none of your concern."

"If he won't back off, then let's make him," said Brendan as he came forward.

"No!" yelled Ash as he got to his knees. "I said this was my fight. You guys have to get away from here."

"And leave you here to him?" asked Dawn. "You do realize that he's here to kill you, right?"

"Just go!" yelled Ash as he quickly got to his feet and materialized his Aura Blade. He went for Gary, but Gary delivered a clenched fist to Ash's face. Another fist struck Ash's gut. That fist changed into a hand that grabbed onto his shirt, and he held Ash into the air and rammed him into the ground behind him. A kick sent Ash away as his body dug deeper into the ground.

His friends watched in horror. Gary was beating him brutally. They had to do something. They couldn't watch Ash get his ass handed to him like this.

Ash breathed heavily as he turned to Gary. The boy was walking toward him, but Ash's blurred vision made it seem slow.

_"Gary..."_

* * *

_Flashback_

_"That was fun," said Drew as he walked along the path by the lake with Gary with his hands behind his head._

_"That's what Joseph gets for being a butt," said Gary. "Just give him the old one two, you know?"_

_Drew looked back._

_"Yeah, but what about him?"_

_"What about who?" asked Gary. _

_He turned back, and sure enough he saw Ash. The boy had been following them. He had a blank expression on his face. He stopped when he got close enough to them. Gary and Drew didn't say anything, expecting Ash to say something, but he didn't._

_"Um...you need something?" asked Gary._

_Ash shook back into reality and he stared at Gary._

_"N-No," said Ash._

_"What is it then?" asked Drew._

_"I...um...I just wanted to say thank you for getting those guys to stop," said Ash._

_"No biggie," said Gary. "But it's nothing to be worried about anyway. Joseph is all big but no bark. He can't throw a punch for his life. Just hit him a few times and he'll be running."_

_"Yeah, but my dad says fighting back only makes it worse," said Ash._

_"Why?"_

_Ash stared at the ground as he continued._

_"They say I'm a monster," said Ash. "Fighting back will just show them I am one. My dad says I'll show them in a different way that'll come eventually. Then they'd wish they never bullied me."_

_"You don't look like a monster to me," said Drew. Gary elbowed him. Drew bent forward as he held his stomach as Gary stepped forward._

_"So what?" asked Gary. "Let them call you a monster. As long as you don't believe it, then what they say is baloney. I bet not everyone thinks that, too. You know how the world is like. Once one person starts talking, everyone else will follow in the herd. Right?"_

_Ash rose his head a little._

_"Yeah, I guess."_

_Gary crossed his arms over his chest._

_"If people really think that, then that means you don't have much friends, do you?"_

_"No, not a lot," said Ash. "I'm pretty lonely most of the time."_

_Gary looked at Drew, smirked, and then looked at Ash._

_"Then we'll be your friends."_

_"I never agreed to that," said Drew._

_He was elbowed once again, and this time he fell to the ground while rolling around._

_Gary turned to Ash again._

_"I'm Gary Oak," he introduced. "That over there is Drew Hayden. We moved to Pallet six months ago. What's your name?"_

_Ash froze._

_"Well, what's your name?" asked Drew as he tried getting back again. Gary glared at him, and Drew pushed himself back to the ground just so he wouldn't get elbowed again._

_Gary turned to Ash again and smiled._

_"Well?"_

_Ash gulped._

_"I-I'm Ash Ketchum."_

_Gary's fist was held out. Ash thought Gary was going to hit him, causing him to flinch, but after he saw it just stay where it was, Ash calmed down a bit._

_"Hey, Ash," said Gary. "Let's be good friends, alright?"_

_Ash stared at Gary's fist._

_He just went out for a walk today, never expecting to meet these two._

_These two who welcomed him with open arms despite hearing that he was a monster._

_Friends who would stay with him no matter what the circumstance._

_Friends who accepted him,_

_He smiled and formed a fist, too._

_"Yeah, let's," said Ash and his fist connected with Gary's._

_And from that fist bump, the start of a new friendship was formed._

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Ash watched Gary get closer and closer.

He saw his friends at the cliff, looking down at him. It was evident on their faces that they would instantly jump from that cliff and come to Ash's aid in a heartbeat, but he didn't want them to.

This was his fight, and his alone.

But how was he supposed to enjoy this fight when Gary was being...someone else.

He watched as Gary rose his fist, and a surge of electricity surrounded it.

It was so fast, but Ash felt time slow down for him.

Looking into Gary's eyes, he saw the stare of a man out for blood.

And Ash Ketchum did not like it.

His own eyes turned blue.

"Knock it off already..."

He got to one knee, and then held back a fist, which he pushed forward to connect with Gary's powered fist that was coming for him.

"...you asshole!"

Suddenly, a shaking shockwave erupted between Ash and Gary's fists, and Gary was launched back into the air.

Gary was shocked, but no one else saw what happened, except for Misty.

Her eyes were wide.

_"What was that?"_

Gary landed on the ground and faced Ash. Ash got to his feet. The atmosphere around him felt different.

But Gary didn't care. He went in for the attack.

He covered himself in lightning and moved toward Ash in a zigzag pattern until he got to Ash's side. He delivered a kick there, resulting in Ash releasing a painful yell. He swung his Aura Blade at Gary, but the boy had already landed on the ground, and this boy's blade was going for Ash's stomach, but Ash turned his Aura Blade upside down and blocked Gary's strike. He quickly created an Aura Sphere and went for Gary, but Gary knocked his arm to the side and delivered a bone crushing punch into Ash's stomach.

Ash let it a violent cough and bent forward as he held his gut. Gary swung his sword at Ash, but he moved away before it made complete contact, but Gary's swift movement already caused it to create a gash on his arm. He yelled as he held back the blood falling to the ground. Gary didn't give him a chance to recover. He delivered lightning fast, swift punches at Ash. Ash blocked most of them with one arm, but most of Gary's hits struck him.

Gary created a ball of lightning around his fist. Ash held his arm in front of him, but even that wasn't enough for the raging impact that came. Ash was sent back as his own head scrapped the ground.

His vest was nearly destroyed. His face was covered in blood. His arms were nearly broken. His vision was blurry.

He was barely conscious now.

_"What's wrong?" _thought Misty as she watched Gary come at Ash again and beat him. She barely heard Ash's friends by her yelling out to Ash and Gary to stop fighting. She was just confused.

_"What happened to that power?"_

She saw how Ash's fist, that had no aura circling around it, collided with Gary's lightning covered fist and had blown that guy away. Ash's beating had surely weakened him, so it was impossible for him to actually knock back Gary with the power he had now.

If Ash had the power to do that before, then how come he wasn't using that same power now.

She watched him throw weak punches that had no chance on connecting with Gary's face. Gary disappeared into a bolt of lightning, reappeared in front of Ash and threw a heavy punch to Ash's face that sent him crashing onto the ground.

Misty watched him stand and glare at Gary.

She kept on watching, and slowly, her eyes widened.

_"Ash..."_

It all made sense now.

Before she could continue her train of thought, she heard a painful yell coming from Ash. Her attention went to the battle once again, and she saw Ash on the ground with his hands on his side.

"Dammit, Gary," he muttered. "How about spreading the pain for once, would ya?"

Gary looks at his fist that hit Ash's side, and then he looked back at Ash.

"That's funny..." he sad quietly, and then he slowly walked toward Ash. Ash quickly attempted to get back up, but Gary's foot pushed him back to the ground. He then slowly moved his foot from Ash's face and softly placed it on the boy's side. Ash winced. Gary pushed harder, and Ash's face was evident that the pain was getting worse.

Gary smirked.

He pulled his foot back and then kicked Ash.

The Aura Guardian's body flew up into the air and landed not too far from Gary.

"I see," said Gary. "You have a wound on your side."

"N-No I don't," said Ash as he got to his feet painfully. "I'm just sensitive there."

"Good," said Gary, changing into a bolt of lightning and appearing in front of Ash. Ash rose his hand to punch Gary, but he already knew it was too late.

"You just made this more entertaining," said Gary. He aimed the bottom of his blade to Ash's side. Ash yelled, and then his elbow collided with the back of Gary's head. This didn't faze Gary. He directed a kick to the same spot, and Ash's feet skidded across the ground

He held onto his side and let out a silent yell.

"That's not fair, Gary," he said as he breathed heavily.

"In battle, fairness should not even be considered," said Gary, and he summoned a thunderbolt to strike Ash. The pain on Ash's side prevented him from moving, but he was able to move just a little. It wasn't enough, because the thunderbolt struck just inches from him, and the shockwave struck Ash and caused him to fall as rubble cut his skin.

He didn't make it to the ground though. Gary appeared behind him and elbowed the boy on his bruise. Ash coughed up blood.

What happened after was just a merciless beating.

Gary aimed for his weak point, and Ash didn't have the strength to dodge and he didn't have time to recover.

He could hear his friends call for him, but the pain made their words fuzzy.

Misty was watching Gary.

She watched his power, his movements, and his expression.

They were horrifying.

This wasn't the Gary she knew. No...this was never the Gary she knew. Not the Gary from a month ago. It was the Gary from way back. It was the Gary in Pallet, with Ash and Drew. It was the Gary with a smile.

This one was not him.

And finally, she accepted it.

"Dammit," she muttered, and she jumped from the cliff.

Ash's limp body rolled across the ground and stopped.

Gary snickered.

"Look at you," he said. "Defenseless and weak. What about the Ash that always boasted that he was going to beat me. You're weak! You were never strong to begin with!"

He proceeded to walk toward Ash.

"You're nothing but a shameful Aura Guardian!"

He stopped.

Someone blocked his path, and that someone was Misty. Her arms were outstretched, and she was glaring at Gary.

"Move."

"No," said Misty. "You're not getting an inch near him, Gary."

"I said move," said Gary. "Or else I'll make you move."

"Do it," said Misty. "If you want to fight Ash. You'll have to fight me first."

"Do you really think you have any chance against me?" asked Gary. "I'll blow you away."

"It's not like she's going to be fighting alone," said Brendan, coming by Misty. Dawn followed. May and Pikachu went behind them and tried helping Ash.

"Ash! Ash! Come on! Wake up! This was why I told you NOT to fight Gary!"

"Pika Pi!"

Ash tried responding to them, but they only came out as silent mumbles. He then coughed and blood flew from his mouth and hit the ground.

Gary smirked.

"You're asking for it."

Gary's sinister smirk made Misty uneasy.

"Gary..." she said. "This is not you. I know it's not you. No matter how much I try to deny it, it's just not you. Something inside you changed. I know it was my uncle's doing, but you never told me about what he made you do. You never let out your feelings. You kept them all pent up inside. I blame myself for doing nothing. I hoped you'd deal with it yourself, but you didn't. I should've done something. I began thinking you'd never return to the way you were. But then that one certain day told me otherwise. It was the day before you went out to fight Marluxia. You were scared. I encouraged you to go, because I thought once you beat him, you'd return to normal, but. I was wrong, you only got worse. Way, way worse."

"What are you blabbering about over there?" asked Gary.

Ash's eyes slowly moved toward Misty.

"Gary, please, before I have to stop you once and for all, come to your senses," said Misty. "Killing Ash wouldn't accomplish anything. You realize there are stronger people than Ash out there. You'd be sent on another mission to kill them. It'd be a wild goose chase, and I don't want you to live that kind of life. Remember who you were before. Remember those days you lived in Pallet Town. Remember being with Ash and Drew, those happy memories. Please, Gary. Please."

Gary stared at her. A sound didn't leave his mouth.

But then he smirked.

"Happy memories?" he asked as his sinister smirk returned. "Those memories are nothing to me! I burned them already! All those times I stood with those weaklings were wasteful! My power was always superior to them, and it still is! Wild goose chase? If that chase gives my life purpose, then I'd gladly accept it!"

Misty's bottom lip quivered, and tears started to form in her eyes.

Ash's eyes were wide.

_"That boy Gary is falling into a dangerous part of the darkness, and he continues to fall. If he doesn't stop, he will reach a darkness much greater than a Nobody. He will become more dangerous than a Dark Signer. He will never be able to turn back ever again. Are you prepared for when that time comes?"_

Larxene was right.

"Unwanted memories are meant to be forgotten!" said Gary as he stepped forward as he dragged the tip of his blade on the ground. "They're memories that should be thrown away! They're memories that should never be looked back on EVER AGAIN!"

He charged forward. Misty held her arms up.

"Misty!" yelled Dawn as she crashed her fist upon her palm, creating a blue light.

Brendan's eyes turned emerald green as he prepared to crash his fist on Gary's chin.

But his face was grabbed and pushed back by Ash's hand.

Ash landed on the ground in front of them all, and his arm slowly got covered in raging aura.

He thrust his fist at Gary, who quickly held his arms up in front of his face. Ash's fist collided with him, and he was launched back due to the impact. His feet skidded deep within the ground.

When he stopped, smoke rose from the skid marks.

"Forgot them?" Ash asked. "You want me to just throw them aside? Forget them all like they were nothing?! How could I forgot all those times you've been there for me!"

Aura erupted from the ground and shook it as they surrounded Ash.

The boy's fierce blue eyes looked at Gary.

"I won't forget them, and you sure as hell won't forgot them either, Gary!"

His friends were blown back.

Misty fell to her knees and watched in awe.

Ash was prepared to go for another round.

"I'll force you to remember every single one."

Misty knew this was the power Ash used before, only at its maximum. It made sense.

This was Ash's true strength.

**(Ending Song)**

* * *

**Next Time on Pokemon Heroes:** One walked in the dark, while the other walked in the light. With the past on their minds, they will fight to prove who is the strongest, and this fight will conclude the rivalry that had lasted for far too long. How will this battle end, and what will be the future of their rivalry? **Next Time: Ash and Gary 3 (Mistake).**

* * *

**That was that chapter. Next chapter, you'll finally find out the statement from Sephiroth that says Ash is stronger than Gary. From this chapter, Misty has already found out, and next you will. Next will be the season finale, which won't take too long to be released. I was going to release all three parts, that's why it took too long for these two to come out, but I decided to release them now, for the next one is only half completed so far. After that, the new season of Pokemon Heroes will start, and we will be entering a new stage in Pokemon Heroes. See you next chapter!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 4,734)**


	26. Ash and Gary 3 (Mistake)

**This is the one hundred sixtieth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. The season finale has finally arrived, and the end of a season with SOOOO many late updates. Next season should return to normal with some chapters in, so the regular Monday (or Tuesday) updates will return. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.**

* * *

**(Opening Song)**

_Ash stabbed his fork into a hotcake, placed his butt back in his seat, and then shoved the whole thing into his mouth. He barely chewed and swallowed the whole thing. He coughed immediately after as his six year old hand hit the table a couple of times._

_A cup of orange juice was placed near him. He quickly took it and swallowed half the drink._

_He wiped the orange juice that fell from his lips and smiled._

_"You're cooking is the best, mom! I can't get enough if this."_

_Delia Ketchum sat opposite from him on the table and smiled._

_"I'm glad you like it," she said as she placed another plate with a whole stack of hotcakes on the table. "You're free to take more."_

_"Thanks!" said Ash, and he took another and shoved it into his mouth. He remembered to chew this time, and then he swallowed. Delia took a couple for herself and ate._

_Ash stopped before taking another one and looked around._

_"Where's dad?" he asked._

_"Your father left this morning," said Delia. "He's been busy a lot lately. But it's his job as an Aura Guardian, so it's understandable."_

_"Can I hang out with Gary and Drew today?" asked Ash with a mouth full of his breakfast._

_"You've been so attached to those guys. You go out with them more than staying at home. It makes me jealous."_

_"Don't worry, mom," said Ash with a wide grin. "No one can replace you."_

_Delia gave a warm smile._

_She was happy for her son. He had always been so lonely, but after meeting those two boys, her son was finally truly happy. It made her happy, too. Ash deserved it._

_Before another word was spoken, the doorbell was rung violently followed by rapid knocking._

_"Someone important?" asked Ash._

_"I'm not really expecting anyone," said Delia, rising from her seat. "Stay here."_

_She went toward the front door. Ash was happy he could get more hotcakes to himself, but then he noticed the speed the person was talking as soon as the front door was opened. It was rapid and frantic._

_Ash slowly got out of his seat and went for the front door._

_He slowly and quietly walked behind his mother._

_He noticed his mother's alarmed expression, and tears coming down from the woman who was speaking to her._

_Ash stood where he was, not uttering a single word or even making a sound._

_He couldn't exactly understand what the woman was saying, but he heard words that stood out to him the most._

_Oak. Fire. Explosion. Dead._

_When they were done, the woman walked out quickly. Delia slowly closed the door, and then she turned to Ash._

_Ash saw tears forming in her eyes._

_"I've got to call your father," she said, and she hurried off._

_Ash didn't move. His young brain couldn't understand, but he instantly felt worry for the person whose last name was Oak._

_"Gary..."_

**Ash and Gary 3 (Mistake)**

* * *

Gary tried comprehending the punch that Ash gave him before the boy got surrounded by raging aura.

_"What the hell?"_

"Gary!" yelled Ash. His foot slammed onto the ground, and then he charged forward.

This sudden movement shocked Gary, but he was still focused.

He turned into a spark, and then appeared behind Ash. His fist was aimed for the back of Ash's head.

But it didn't make contact. His fist missed its mark after Ash's elbow rammed into his gut. Blood escaped his mouth. He struggled as he moved back, holding onto his stomach.

_"What is this?"_

Ash immediately came after him. Gary saw him coming and moved his head as Ash's swift fist brushed past his cheek.

Punches and kicks were thrown, and Gary moved back at every strike, dodging each attack.

Ash threw another punch, and Gary saw it as his opportunity. He took Ash's wrist and held it, pulled Ash closer, and then reversed gripped his sword. His aimed his sword's edge to Ash's neck.

Gary had him this time.

But Ash ducked. It was impossible at this rate due to the speed of Gary's blade, but Ash had ducked.

Gary didn't have time to think about this more for an Aura Sphere suddenly formed on Ash's palm, and he rammed it onto Gary's gut.

Gary was pushed back continuously with the Aura Sphere. It was going to explode at any second. Gary disappeared and reappeared away from the Aura Sphere, watching it fly by and explode.

He breathed heavily as he watched the smoke slowly fade away.

He looked back at Ash.

His fists shook.

Then a smirk formed on his face.

"I see," he said. "You caught me off guard. I was sure I weakened you to the point of never standing up again, but it seems I just didn't injure you enough."

Fierce lightning formed around him.

Ash could feel the ground shake beneath his feet. His fists were then engulfed in aura.

Suddenly, Gary pulled the lightning into one spot and shot a full powered thunder bolt toward Ash.

Ash moved his upper body to the side, and the hot attack went past him and continued on, having rock formations crumble down until it came to a stop and caused a large explosion.

Gary's eye twitched. Ash was able to dodge something like that, even when they weren't that far from each other.

He gripped the handle of his sword tightly.

"I'll kill you, Ketchum."

Brendan and Dawn were running toward the battle. May was left behind with Misty. Pikachu was on Ash's shoulder.

"Ash, we'll help!" yelled Brendan.

"We have to knock him out quickly before he does something worse!" yelled Dawn.

Gary glared at them, and then the sound of a Pokemon being released reached their ears.

Brendan took Dawn and pushed her back. He made his arms iron hard and held his left over his head.

From the sky, a large Pokemon came down with a fist covered in electricity and rammed it down onto Brendan's arm. He was pushed in deeper within the ground. Lightning bolts shot out everywhere as the attack got stronger and Brendan didn't know if he could hold on any longer.

Luckily, the Pikachu on his shoulder made its tail as hard as iron and rammed it into the face of its opponent.

This was able to push the opponent back far enough.

Brendan went on one knee and checked his arm. The attack had ripped off his sleeve and hurt his arm a little bit.

He looked up at the one who attacked him. The sight of it caused Brendan to wince.

It was Gary's powerhouse Electivire. Electricity circled it, and a smirk was on its face. It was focused on Brendan.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Brendan.

"Electivire, make sure they don't interrupt this time," ordered Gary as the tip of his sword was pointed at Ash, who was looking at the commotion. "I'm going to make sure no one gets in my way to power, no matter how many lives I have to take."

Ash's eyes connected with his Pikachu, who looked back at its trainer. They spoke with their eyes, and then Ash turned to Gary.

"I'm not worried about them at all," he said.

Gary glared at him, and then fierce lightning engulfed his body.

Raging aura surrounded Ash.

With a roar, they charged at each other and collided.

* * *

Pikachu had sensed it.

It didn't know what, but it sure as hell sensed it.

It watched how Ash fought Gary. It watched as its trainer fought bravely and focused, but something was different now.

Something had changed in Ash. Pikachu didn't know what, but it sure as hell could feel it.

It looked over at its opponent.

Electivire, the Pokemon Pikachu had vowed to itself to defeat for Ash's sake, stood there. It was to prove that its trainer was training with his own Pokemon just as hard as Gary.

That would bring Ash one step closer to beating Gary.

Now, Ash was getting his chance to fight against Gary until one fell, but not like this.

Ash wanted to fight Gary fairly, not in a way that meant one of them had to die. This was not his time.

So that meant it was not Pikachu's time either, but in order to protect the people behind him, he was going to fight anyway.

Brendan had reached for his Pokeballs, but Pikachu stopped him as it hopped forward while picking up speed.

"Pika!"

Lightning formed around it, and it soon developed into a Volt Tackle.

Electivire snickered and held one arm up. Pikachu crashed onto the Pokemon, pushing it back, but there was no damage anywhere on its body.

The antennae on its back went on both sides of Pikachu's cheeks.

Suddenly, the electricity around Pikachu vanished, and they went along the antennae and into Electivire. Sparks formed on its face, and then it moved a fist back. Flames surrounded that fist, and it was rammed onto Pikachu, sending the Pokemon rolling on the rocky ground until it came to a stop.

"Pikachu!" yelled Dawn. "We can deal with Electivire! You don't have to-"

"Pika!"

Pikachu stood once more with a struggle.

Honestly it should've known. With Electivire's ability, Motor Drive, and Pikachu's ability, Lightning Rod, they prevented them both from receiving major damage from Electric-Type attacks, and they were both Electric-Type Pokemon.

That just meant Pikachu had to attack without Electric-Type moves for it to have a chance.

It charged at Electivire with a Quick Attack. It went between Electivire's legs before Electivire's fist crashed down on it. Pikachu jumped up and used Iron Tail to the back of the neck.

It hit, but Pikachu had forgotten about Electivire's strong and sturdy body.

While Pikachu was still in midair, Electivire turned around and used Fire Punch once again launching Pikachu away.

Pikachu got to its feet pretty easily. When it stopped, Pikachu didn't even have time to execute another move, because Electivire was using Giga Impact, and it was coming in fast.

Pikachu got out of the way quickly, but Electivire suddenly stopped near it. Using the momentum of its attack, it directed all of the energy to its fist, and that fist crashed down on Pikachu.

Pikachu's scream was continuously heard as Electivire beat it down. Brendan and Dawn watched in horror, wondering when they should jump in.

Pikachu took the blows with pride as Electivire took its tail and crashed it left and right on the ground.

When it was finished, it held Pikachu by the tail and looked into Pikachu's eyes.

On instinct, Pikachu used a Thunderbolt, but it was use. Electivire absorbed it and then tossed Pikachu to the ground far away.

Pikachu landed harshly. Its eyes looked at Electivire as the powerhouse slowly walked closer. Pikachu painfully got to its feet as it breathed heavily.

_"Gary's way stronger than me because he always evolves his Pokemon, letting them get stronger. How about I help you guys evolve? If we evolve, we can beat Gary! Is that a deal?"_

That was the day in Snowpoint City, after defeating Team Rocket for the first time. The day Pikachu battled against Gary's Pokemon for Ash, but failed. It was the day it swore to become stronger for Ash, and it wasn't going to go back on that promise.

It wasn't allowed to.

It launched a powerful Thunderbolt at Electivire.

As expected, Electivire simply absorbed the attack, but Pikachu didn't stop there.

It kept going and going. Electivire was obtaining more and more energy.

"Um, Pikachu, I don't think that's a good idea," advised Dawn.

Pikachu didn't listen. It let out all of its power, giving it all to Electivire freely.

It knew what it was doing, and it only prayed it was going to work.

With one final push, it stopped, giving away every last bit of its energy. It was on the verge of falling unconscious.

On the other side of the battlefield, Electivire stood slumped over. Pikachu took one good look at it.

Then massive shockwaves were released. Electivire straightened up with bright yellow eyes. Its body was outlined in electricity. It was on 110% power.

"Now is the time to step in," said Brendan, but before he could do anything at all, Pikachu rose a paw to stop him.

A second later, Electivire was screaming. It held onto its head as it moved around.

It was overloaded.

Pikachu smirked, and Electivire didn't like it.

In its rage, it shot a massive Thunderbolt at Pikachu, a power that could kill someone with a single blow, but Pikachu stayed where it was.

"Pikachu!" yelled Dawn, placing her fist on her palm to quickly create an ice shield for Pikachu, but she was too late.

The attack struck Pikachu head on. They could only watch in horror as the attack continued to destroy land as far as the eye could see. They didn't know what they would be expecting once the attack died down.

Slowly, as it did, the feeling that came next was shock.

Pikachu stood, sparks coming out of the pouches on its cheeks.

Electivire was slumped forward again. It looked dizzy, moving around in one spot, trying to not fall. That was because of the massive amount of energy it had just released.

"How is that possible?" asked Dawn.

Brendan understood, but he was still shocked. Why was it not dead? It most definitely took the hit, evident by the added bruises and burned spots on its body, but it being an Electric-Type negated some of the attack, but Pikachu's Lightning Rod ability absorbed some of it as well.

That meant Pikachu had more energy than Electivire now.

Slowly, Pikachu moved forward, and then it broke into a run. Sparks exited its body, and then finally, electricity surrounded it. It was using Volt Tackle, and it was heading toward Electivire. Electivire raised the antennae on its back, prepared to absorb Pikachu's attack.

Pikachu jumped, but then the Volt Tackle disappeared, so there was nothing to absorb.

Pikachu struck Electivire on the head with a simple headbutt.

The massive Pokemon came falling down, and as soon as it made contact with the hard ground, it was unconscious. The dizziness, the headbutt to the head, and a massive fall was enough to bring any large Pokemon down.

Before Pikachu hit the ground, it was caught by Brendan, who used Mightyena's power to quickly get to Pikachu.

"Whoa," said Brendan as he watched Electivire's swirly eyes. "That's actually impressive."

Pikachu smirked, and then it fainted as well.

* * *

High, wide rocks were torn down, their rubble crashing into the ground. Once one was brought down, another followed a second later.

Gary was using his lightning powers to dash through the air. Following him was Ash, propelling aura from his feet to catch up with Gary.

Gary expected Ash to tire out, but Ash wasn't letting up even for a second. Everytime they got close enough to each other, their weapons clashed, and then they were once again playing the game of cat and mouse.

Gary quickly made a sharp turn, causing Ash's fist to miss. Ash quickly made the turn and followed Gary.

Gary looked back and lightning formed on his fist. He tossed a large thunderbolt at the boy, but Ash covered his fists in aura and broke right through it.

Gary proceeded to grind his teeth, thinking of another way, but Ash suddenly appeared above him. Gary didn't even have time to react. Ash took the collar of his shirt and then held a fist back. The fist proceeded to get engulfed in aura.

The impact of Ash's strike to Gary's face sent Gary into the ground, causing rocks and dust to rise up. Gary quickly got out of the crater and landed on his hands and feet.

Ash landed on the ground and charged at Gary. Gary quickly rose his feet and directed a kick to Ash's head. Ash blocked the kick with his arm. Gary lowered his legs and instead used them to trip Ash. It worked, and Ash fell on his two arms. Ash used his arms to turn his body and direct a side kick to Gary, but Gary got out of the way and landed on his feet. Ash quickly got up, and they charged at each other, their arms colliding as aura and lightning surrounded their bodies.

The impact caused an explosion. Ash was pushed back, and then his face was grabbed as Gary flew toward him with his lightning powers.

He crashed Ash's body into the face of a rock, pushing him deep inside, immobilizing the boy.

Gary just watched him, and then he smirked.

"Look at you now," he said.

Ash proceeded to raise his head to meet Gary's eyes, but Gary's fist always crashed into his gut.

"How does it feel to be powerless, huh?!"

Gary's lightening covered fists struck Ash's immobilized body over and over, and the Aura Guardian had no way to counter them.

"Maybe if you obtained just a bit more power, you would've been able to avoid this, right?!" asked Gary. "But no! You chose to get stronger in the stupidest way imaginable, while I pushed myself to get stronger! And yet, it still isn't enough! Why, huh?!"

Gary's knees struck Ash. All of the air left his lungs, but he took the blows while glaring at Gary. Gary's words only made him angrier.

Gary's hand then grabbed onto his head. Gary moved Ash's face forward so their faces would be close to each other.

"You're going to regret ever trying to catch up to me," said Gary, with a sinister tone in his voice.

Volts of harsh electricity then circulated throughout Ash's body from Gary's hand. The boy was in tons of pain, but he avoided yelling. He avoided being at the mercy of Gary's power.

"Those who are weak are better left to die," said Gary.

Those words. They were the exact same words Gary had told him back then, and they were the words that awakened an emotion Ash hadn't felt for Gary Oak for so long.

Pity.

* * *

FLASHBACk

_It started on a path by a pond. It was one of the most peaceful places in Pallet Town. One could just sit down and enjoy the view or take a stroll around the pond._

_On this path were two friends, Ash and Drew, at the age of their days in Pallet Town. It was supposed to be a trio of friends, but one was missing from the group: Gary Oak._

_It had been a whole week since the death of Professor Oak. They felt bad for their friend, but whenever they tried to get in contact with Gary, he pushed them away. They had went to Professor Oak's funeral, but they still were unable to talk to Gary._

_He was too distant from them now._

_"We've got to do something about Gary," said Drew as his finger scratched his cheek. "I feel horrible doing nothing."_

_"Me too," said Ash. "But whenever I try getting into his house, his mom tells me he doesn't want to see anybody."_

_There was silence. They got closer to the pond._

_"You think Gary's gonna be okay?" asked Drew._

_Ash turned to him with a smile._

_"Of course. Gary's our friend. He wouldn't change for anything."_

_"Yeah," said Drew, placing his hands behind his head._

_"I just wish he would at least speak to us about this," said Ash, lowering his head._

_"We should head toward his-"_

_Then he was silenced. Ash felt Drew tapping him on the shoulder, causing him to stop. He looked to where Drew was pointing at, and he saw Gary walking toward them, but not looking at them._

_"Gary..." thought Ash._

_Drew and he looked at each other, and then Ash nodded._

_"Gary!" he called out, and the two boys ran toward Gary. They walked in front of Gary, halting his movement. Ash waited for Gary to say something, but he was just averting his gaze from them._

_"Hey," said Ash. Gary still kept his mouth shut._

_"Maybe he's still sad over what happened," thought Ash. "I should try cheering him up."_

_"Are you still upset?" asked Ash._

_Gary walked around him. Ash and Drew watched him go. But just watching him go caused something to switch on in Ash's head. He could see Drew, prepared to tell Ash that they should just leave, but Ash couldn't do that._

_"I can't leave him alone," thought Ash. "I can't make him go on by himself."_

_He ran toward Gary, walking behind the boy._

_"Hey! Where are you headed? Can me and Drew come?"_

_Gary suddenly stopped and turned to Ash._

_"No. You won't be able to reach where I'm going."_

_He turned back around and walked away. Ash watched with confusion._

_"What?" thought Ash. "Reach? I'm not that short. Mom told me this is a good height for a boy my age."_

_"What?" asked Ash._

_"You will inherit your father's weakness. You are that Aura Guardian's son."_

_"Aura Guardian? You mean my dad? He's not here right now. He went off somewhere for a while."_

_"He's wasting his energy. Those who are strong should take care of the things that are important. Helping the weak overcome their problems is a waste of time to others and to oneself."_

_"What?" asked Ash. He turned back to Drew, who stood where he was, completely speechless. He looked back at Gary and watched him get farther and farther._

_He just felt it. Something had surely changed within Gary. A change that made Gary the _

_person he was acting like now. But..._

_It was a change Ash didn't like at all._

_He ran toward Gary._

_"I'll help him!" thought Ash. "Maybe he's not okay because of the Professor! If that's the case, then I'll help him out of that sadness right now. I'm not leaving until I do! I promise!"_

_His hand grabbed onto Gary's shoulder._

_"Gary! What-"_

_Then the unexpected happened. Gary grabbed onto his arm and tripped him, causing him to fall into the pond._

_Ash was sinking within the water. He knew how to swim, but he was too shocked to do anything. An air bubble escaped his mouth, heading toward the surface._

_"Why did he do that?" he thought. "Gary would never do that without a reason. This isn't Gary. This can't be him. This...can't possibly be him."_

_Then he saw someone jump into the water. It was Drew, who swam down to him and grabbed onto the boy. He pulled Ash to the surface and back onto land. Ash was coughing up water. Drew looked toward Gary sadly._

_"Why did you do that?" asked Drew._

_Anger unexpectedly welled up inside Ash. Whatever Gary was trying to be right now, Ash Ketchum didn't like it._

_"What the heck was that for?!" he yelled out._

_"As I expected," said Gary as he glared at Ash. "Weak. That's all I need to prove the Aura Guardians are powerless."_

_"What are you talking about?! When did you get so into this power and weakness business?! That doesn't matter!"_

_"In order to live in this world, you must be strong," said Gary, walking off. "That's all."_

_Ash's fingers trembled. He was clenching his teeth._

_He knew that if he stayed where he was and did nothing, Gary was going to change forever. Ash didn't want it. He didn't want it to continue. In order to stop Gary from going on the road he was spiraling down into, Ash had to do something. It could be anything._

_"I'm going to save him!" thought Ash, and he suddenly jumped up before Drew could calm him down._

_"GARY!"_

_He went to punch Gary, but the brunette easily moved to the side and punched Ash right on the face. Ash fell to the ground, got up and continued trying. The fight continued on like that, with Ash getting back up after Gary easily brought him down. Kids passing by started to notice, but they didn't help. They laughed._

_"Hey guys!" yelled a kid named Joseph. "Come over here! Ketchum is getting his ass kicked!"_

_Ash saw Drew trying to stop the fight, but he honestly didn't want Drew to._

_He had to keep trying. He had to knock some sense into Gary. _

_This was not Gary. Gary Oak was a better person than this. No matter how many times Gary hit him, Ash wasn't going to go down until Gary yelled out "Ha, I was just playing with you"._

_But he couldn't go on for much longer. He eventually did fall to the ground. He quickly tried getting up, but he had scraped his knee. He winced in pain and stopped. He was beaten and Gary was unscathed. Ash wasn't really trying to hurt Gary that much, but Gary didn't hold back against him at all._

_Gary was walking away again._

_"Those who are weak are better left to die," he said. _

_The kids that were around them started cheering and laughing at Ash's failure._

_"Ash, you alright?" asked Drew, quickly coming and checking on him._

_Ash didn't pay any mind to Drew at all. He held onto his knee and glared at Gary._

_He was just watching Gary go, and it caused a tear to fall from his right eye._

_"I'll show you! I'll show you Aura Guardians have power! Just you wait! I'll beat you and prove it, Gary! This is not over yet!"_

_Gary didn't turn back. He just kept going._

_Ash lowered his head to the ground, and he broke into tears._

_Drew stood and glared at the kids laughing, prepared to fight them all if he had to, but Ash didn't care for them at all._

_"I-I'll help you Gary...I-I will."_

_Gary was holding onto the thought that his power was superior to others. It had corrupted him. So in order to bring the boy back, Ash had to destroy that illusion._

_Ash could only think about what this meant for his friend._

_Although Ash had lost a friend that day, it was only the beginning of the countless amount of times Ash would challenge Gary to show the boy his illusion of power was wrong._

_Then, just maybe, Gary was going to return to them._

_Ash was going to show Gary that Aura Guardians did have the power to protect people, including him._

_Ash was sure to prove it._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

* * *

The pity that Ash felt quickly evolved into strength.

"Just stop it!"

With a roar, aura raged around the boy, destroying the rock he was stuck on and stopping Gary's attack.

Ash quickly grabbed onto a large rock that fell from the sky, and then smashed the object on Gary's head, destroying the rock as the pieces fell to the ground. Blood fell from the side of Gary's head now.

"Just quit it already!" said Ash, aura forming around his fists. He charged at Gary. Gary swung his sword, but Ash ducked and rammed a fist into Gary's gut. "This isn't you, dammit! You never allowed this! You were kind, loyal, and fought for what was right! Power didn't matter to you!"

"That's not me anymore!" yelled Gary, holding onto his stomach as blood fell from his mouth. "I'm different now!"

He swung his sword again with lightning surrounding it toward the top of Ash's head.

Ash simply held onto the blade on both sides of the flat ends. He then took it away from Gary's hand and tossed it away. It dug into the ground away from them.

"No you're not!" yelled Ash as he held a fist back. "You're Gary Oak of Pallet Town! You're the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak! You were my friend!"

His fist rammed into Gary's face. The boy stumbled back, but then another fist struck him.

A punch came immediately after the last. Gary tried evading, but Ash was too fast. When Gary used his power to get away from Ash, Ash suddenly caught up, and then a fury of fists struck Gary once more.

"There he is!" exclaimed May, running toward the battle. Misty, Dawn, and Brendan were behind her, and Pikachu was resting in Brendan's arms.

Misty stopped and watched Ash throw multiple punches at Gary without giving the boy time to dodge.

_"I was right," _thought Misty. _"It all makes sense."_

Watching Ash right now made it all clear. Watching Ash overpower Gary made the pieces comes together.

Those times when Ash was beaten by Gary, those times when Gary stood over Ash were fake, and this battle proved it.

Ash had always been stronger than Gary, but he was just holding back. He had always held back.

Why?

Because Ash never hated Gary. He only wanted to prove himself. He wanted to prove to the boy that his path to power was all wrong.

Gary was the one who was weak the whole time, and this brought a tear to Misty's eye.

* * *

Gary moved back, but a fist crashed onto his face, causing him to fall back.

He quickly straightened up and slammed his fist onto Ash's face. Ash was hit, but he didn't fall. He roared, and then his fist hit Gary's gut and aura shot out from his hands, pushing Gary back.

Deep skid marks were left behind after Gary stopped, still standing. He glared at Ash.

_"How?"_

Ash came again and Gary dodged, but Ash's elbow struck him.

_"This doesn't make sense."_

Another punch followed.

_"All that vigorous training, all of those battles, and still it wasn't enough. I reached into the darkest areas of power, areas Ash wouldn't dare to enter himself, and yet he was superior."_

He blocked a punch, but Ash's foot tripped him. He felt himself slowly falling to the ground.

_"What was I lacking? What does Ash have that I don't?"_

His eyes went for the people who were watching their battle the whole time.

_"Friends."_

A kick struck his gut before he hit the ground.

_"I wanted to get stronger to kill Marluxia for what he did to my grandfather. I wanted to protect others so they wouldn't end up like him. But somewhere along the line, I lost my place. I fought so people could fear me. I fought to become the strongest. Ash...Ash had a better reason to get stronger. He had people by his side, growing with him, and helping him grow. He fought to protect the lives of others. I fought for myself. I walked alone."_

He got to his feet. Ash was coming for him. He crossed his arms in front of his face. Ash's aura covered fist broke through it, and the fist struck Gary's face.

At this point, Gary had no more fight left in him.

_"But...I'm sure I was stronger than him. At some point, he exceeded me, and he continued to get stronger. I stayed where I was. I was in his shadow the whole time."_

There was another strike.

_"But I can't blame others for this. It was all my fault. I had people who tried to stand by me, who tried to be my friend, but I shoved them away. I pushed Misty away. I...I even tried to kill them."_

There was another strike.

_"I was weak the whole time. There was no way I could get strong. I was someone who walked in the dark that was leading me nowhere. I let my pain destroy me. Ash's friends helped him get stronger from the pain."_

He was pushed back. He held his stomach, and he breathed heavily. Blood was falling from his face, his arm was nearly broken. His face was bruised up.

"GARY!" yelled Ash, charging at Gary, directing his right aura covered fist to Gary's face.

Gary didn't move. He didn't have the strength to.

The fist got closer, and closer, and closer, until it was only mere inches from him.

And only one thought crossed the spiky haired brunette's mind.

_"What...the hell was I doing this whole time?"_

Then the fist crashed into his face, and he was launched back.

His limp body rolled across the ground until he came to a stop on his stomach.

Gary Oak was down, and he wasn't getting back up again.

Ash stood, his arm extended, and his breathing was rapid and heavy.

"That's what real power is," said Ash. "Never forget that...Gary..."

Ash fell to his knees.

It was all over. Ash had won. He fulfilled his goal to get stronger than Gary

The next thing he heard was the sounds of his friends. He slowly turned to them.

There they were, running toward him with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, except for Misty. They were happy for Ash. Ash had did it.

"Ash!" exclaimed May, who got to her knees and held the injured boy in her arms. "I was so worried for you! I can't believe you actually did it! You were great! Wait, you're injured, let me-"

"No," interrupted Ash, and then a shaky finger was pointed toward Gary's unconscious body. "Help him first. Help Gary."

They all turned to the boy. He was lying on his stomach, and his head was turned to them.

Tears were falling from Misty's face. She was happy Ash did it, but at the same time, she felt pity.

How it looked now, Ash was surrounded by people, congratulating him and checking if he was okay while Gary was all the way over there, unconscious and with nobody by his side.

It felt so...lonely.

Misty took steps toward Gary, but she stopped.

Suddenly, a dark portal opened up by Gary, and they all froze. From their times with The Dark Signers, they had always seen those portals pop up, so they expected who was going to step out.

But the person who stepped out was more unexpected.

The man who stood by Gary was none other than Sephiroth himself.

"Hello there," said Sephiroth with a soothing voice.

"Uncle...?" asked Misty.

"Misty, my niece, do you realize how rude it was to just leave like that. I was lonely."

"Why are you here?"

"I came to pick up the trash, of course."

"Trash? What do you-"

Sephiroth's foot rammed into Gary's gut, causing blood to escape his mouth.

They were all shocked, seeing this random man pop up and proceed,to repeatedly kick the beaten boy without any restraint.

"After all this time, you still had nothing!" yelled Sephiroth, continuing his onslaught. "You were a waste of my time! No matter what I did, you just didn't fall into the darkness deep enough! How dare you do this to me?! How dare you disappoint me?! Do you realize what you have done?! I was so close to completing my goal, but you just had to be weak AND RUIN IT!"

The kids had no idea what they should do. When should they get between the two?

"Stop it."

Sephiroth stopped.

He placed his foot on the ground, and then slowly turned to Ash, whose eyes were wide.

"Excuse me?"

"I said stop it," said Ash. "Stop that right now."

His voice sounded shaky.

Sephiroth chuckled.

"My, my, excuse my manners," he said. "I forgot to congratulate you. Congratulations on your victory! I see you're getting used to being a Nobody, huh? I remember you coming to my island like a lifeless doll, but look at you now! I apologize for sending this boy to you. He was only a waste of time, wasn't he? He was merely one PIECE...OF...SHIT!"

With every break at the end of his sentence, he gave Gary another kick. He then started to stomp on Gary's side.

"A PIECE OF SHIT WHO COULDN'T GET STRONGER FOR HIS GRANDFATHER!" continued Sephiroth. "YOU'RE WEAK! WEAK! WEAK! WEAK, DAMMIT!"

"It was you the whole time."

Sephiroth stopped once again, but he didn't turn to Ash this time.

"Huh?"

"It was you," Ash continued, his voice even more shaky. "You were the one who changed Gary. You made him into this! It was you the whole time!"

Sephiroth was silent, and then he smirked.

"What a wonderful detective you are."

Rage covered Ash's face. His eyes turned blue, his hair stood up, and fangs were developing.

"How about you replace this worthless piece of shit and become my apprentice instead," asked Sephiroth. "You need a replacement after what happened to Lnoki, right?"

May couldn't stop him. He was already gone.

Ash had used the last bit of his power and charged at Sephiroth. He jumped up and held his fist back.

His eyes were completely blue, with teeth were sharp. Aura shot out from his body. It was shot out in all directions, and unlike the times when aura felt calm and soothing, it felt sinister and hot now. It was the aura of a beast that shook the ground they stood on.

"DAMN YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Sephiroth slowly turned toward him with the smirk still plastered on his face.

Ash's fist was lurched forward.

The next thing that happened was the sound of ground breaking open.

It was Ash's head, digging into the ground. The aura was gone. Ash's eyes were white.

Sephiroth stood with one arm extended, and his hand was in the position of a karate chop.

A stern look was on his face.

"Watch who you're talking to, boy."

When it was all over, the others were pushed back into reality and realized what had just happened.

"Ash!" yelled May, and she ran toward the unconscious boy quickly.

She suddenly stopped as soon as she got close enough to Sephiroth. Their eyes met. This was their first meeting, but why did May feel weird?

_"I...I've seen him before. But when?"_

Sephiroth smiled and then turned to Gary.

"Don't worry, Princess," said Sephiroth. "This is not over yet. This was merely plan B. Plan A has yet to come. I didn't want to finish the game so quickly, so I made Plan B to pass the time. I shouldn't have placed all my trust in this boy."

He then started to maniacally laugh. His crazed looked turned to May.

"I will be sure that Plan A works! This is not the end! IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!"

May didn't feel fear nor defiance. She was confused.

Sephiroth then turned to Gary again and picked the boy up and placed him over his shoulder roughly. He extended a hand and a dark portal opened up.

He turned back to Misty.

"Are you coming?"

Misty didn't respond to him. She still had the horrified look she had since Sephiroth came here.

"Whatever," said Sephiroth, taking a scroll from his pocket and tossing it to the ground by Misty. "You'll return eventually. You have a reason too." He shook Gary, and then he looked back at the portal and rose his hand while waving it.

"See you kids later."

He walked in and the portal closed up behind him.

They all stayed where they were.

May slowly got to her knees and pulled Ash's bloody face from the ground and held it in her hands.

What just happened simply just happened. There was no way to comment on it.

But they did feel one thing, though.

A dark time was coming.

They just didn't know when.

**(Ending Song)**

* * *

**Next Time on a new season of Pokemon Heroes:** The group heads back into Sootopolis City to find Ash and Pikachu treatment. The battle ended, but the thoughts that come after plagues their minds, and they force Misty to decide what side she's really on. What will be Misty's resolve, and what will happen to Ash in his condition? **Next Time: After the Battle**.

* * *

**That was that chapter. And now that was the epic end to this season! Ash and Gary's battle has now concluded, but what will be the future of these two? You'll have to find out next season :-P**

**If you had noticed, the flashback for the time Ash and Gary fought for the first time was the exact same one that was seen in last season's season finale. This one was in Ash's perspective, to show Ash's reason to grow stronger than Gary. Everything has a start.**

**I also revealed that there may be history between May and Sephiroth. That old bastard has so many secrets.**

**Pokemon Heroes will now enter a new stage, and this stage will be something you guys have been waiting for, but I've always diverted from it to focus on other things. New things will happen, and epic fights are yet to come, so be prepared.**

**Next season will come very soon, before the weekend. I've already thought about the story of the first ten chapters. Normal Monday updates should be returning soon, but don't expect it to be too soon.**

**Also, a new poll has been posted on my profile, so go vote!**

**See you on the seventh season!**

**Read and Review please :-)**

**(Views: 5,038) **


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